Howard Cunnell Book order (chronological)

An urgent and blistering story about class, protest and art, from the acclaimed author of Fathers and Sons.

«Sono andato veloce perché la strada è veloce.» Tra il 2 e il 22 aprile 1951 – scrive Kerouac a Neal Cassady – «ho scritto un romanzo su una striscia di carta lunga 120 piedi infilata nella macchina da scrivere e senza paragrafi, fatta srotolare sul pavimento e sembra proprio una strada». Con questo “rotolo” ha inizio la vicenda del mitico romanzo che narra i viaggi di Kerouac tra Stati Uniti e Messico negli anni 1947-50 e che vedrà la luce, in una versione ampiamente rimaneggiata, solo nel 1957. Più lungo di quello definitivo, il testo originario di On the road contiene numerose scene poi tagliate e risulta più cupo, spigoloso e disinibito. Intima, sfrenata e “vera”, la scrittura di Kerouac trascina il lettore alla bruciante scoperta di una strada che è la vita stessa.

Five decades after its initial publication, Jack Kerouac's iconic Beat novel makes its way to the big screen, directed by Walter Salles and featuring a talented cast including Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, and Viggo Mortensen. The story follows Sal Paradise, a young innocent who embarks on an exhilarating journey across the United States with his hero, the mystical Dean Moriarty. Their quest for fulfillment through drink, sex, drugs, and jazz transforms into a deeper exploration of personal freedom and the limits of the American dream. This brilliant blend of fiction and autobiography captures the essence of 1950s underground America, racing towards the sunset with exuberance and poignancy. As one of the most influential novels of the 20th century, it launched the Beat Generation and remains a cornerstone of that literary movement. Kerouac, an American novelist and poet, gained fame with this work, which followed his earlier novel, The Town and the City. His legacy includes other notable works like The Subterraneans and Big Sur. Critics have hailed it as a beautifully executed and significant expression of its generation, profoundly impacting readers and inspiring countless individuals to seek new experiences.