Dr. Sax

by Jack Kerouac

Book Overview

Jack Kerouac called Doctor Sax, the enigmatic figure who haunted his boyhood imagination, 'my ghost, personal angel, private shadow, secret lover'. In this extraordinary autobiographical account of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802130496
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Journey through Time

Jacks Dr Sax represents his thoughts,feelings and fantasies throughout his early years in Lowell. Masterfully told through pre-birth, present tense and future tense, Dr Sax weaves a tangled web of delight to those who take the plunge into the River called Kerouac. The chapter "The Night The Man With The Watermelon Died" is worth the price of admission alone. Thank God for Kerouac a good companion throughout lifes troubled waters.

The Art of Jazz Writing

This book is Keroauc sitting in on a mean late nightjazz jam session, writing and reciting verse while allthose around him are blowing madly. It is verydifferent from the mainstream Keroauc where he talks about writing in this style. This book is thestyle as it spins a story in and out of the rhealm ofthe waking consciousness and reminds me of the way Ifeel like after listening to some classic Miles.Read this book and let in linger in your mind for a while, it has that kind of depth to it.

Intense Imagery and humorous sketchings

Another great novel by the master of Beat. In this book Kerouac takes us thru the town of Lowell, centering around Christ-like pneuma Sax as his tutelary spirit. Many biblical symbols often appear, somehow transforming the novel to holy scriptures. When reading Dr. Sax I discover that writing can be comical and at the same time perceptive. A must read.

Highly Spiritual

This book is a creeper. A few months after you read it, you will realize that you love it. Kerouak mentions the conceptualization of Dr. Sax in On the Road, where JK's main character talks about a book he is writing, and mentions the ultimate scene in Sax. The story is full of visuals that stay in the mind. Inspiration from Bram Stoker is evident, and mixes with old radio serials adventure. A coming of age story that is comic book, before comic books were cool, and with a fantastic ending that is unexpected and thought provoking. A wonderful read every time.

Divine

This is kerouac's favourite out of all of his works - and rightly so. It delves into his psyche and provides an almost burroughsesque peice of literature. This book is not for people unused to the writing of kerouac, so if you haven't read any before i recommend that you check out On The Road before embracing this. It begins as a regular peice of kerouac, recounting events of his very early youth in Lowell, Mass. but ascends (or decends depending on your opinion) into a realm of psychedelic, almost biblical dream-hallucination based on a mythical character called Dr. Sax who combats the realms of evil (with the help of young JK/JD) which are personified by the snake, but more supremely by the dove. I wont tell the end 'cause that would piss ev'ryone off but shall finish by saying that Dr. Sax comes highly recommended by me as an 'alternative' kerouac.