Windblown World: The Journals of Jack Kerouac 1947-1954

by Jack Kerouac

Book Overview

Jack Kerouac is best known through the image he put forth in his autobiographical novels. Yet it is only his prolific journals, in which he set down the raw material of his life and thinking, that reveal to us the real Kerouac?his true, honest, deep, private, philosophical self.In Windblown World, distinguished Americanist Douglas Brinkley has gathered a selection of journal entries from the most pivotal period of Kerouac?s life, 1947?1954. Here is...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670033413
• ISBN13: 9780670033416
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 387 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Writing, Not Typing

Wow this book is really incredible. It's like diving into the soul of Kerouac before he decided he didn't want to have commas or periods. Mind you I like DR SAX and DESOLATION ANGELS and his other crazily spontaneous novels that had dashes instead of periods, but I gotta say, I enjoy ON THE ROAD and DHARMA BUMS, and this book is great because it's Kerouac writing in a style that is simple to read and you really get to see what a truly great writer and philosopher he was, and he shares a lot about the book he's writing TOWN AND THE CITY which is a masterpeice (a book that gets better the further you read). And how he is set apart from his friends. As talented as they were, including Ginsberg, in my opinion: Jack stood alone, and this book is all about that: standing alone.

Philosophical, lighthearted, fascinating

This is one of the best books I've ever read. To read about Kerouac and his thoughts and his struggles as he tries to make it is thoroughly enjoyable. It's fun to listen as he ponders and have a look inside him as he tries to make a living writing. I couldn't put it down.

A Must Read for Kerouac fans

Turning the pages of this book is like seeing Kerouac's life in motion. Within, the reader finally gets a look at Kerouac's struggles becoming the writer he grew into. A combination of pain, lonliness and detachment molded his views and values, resulting in On the Road, Dharma Bums, etc. It's exciting to see how one of the truely original and great American writers approached life and writing. I would recommend this to any reader.

Kerouac wrote from a place beyond this Earth.

This book is what we have all been keenly waiting for. Kerouac's own words and thoughts and his own mad sad times in the prime of his life (25-32yo). One page he decribes going into NYC to see D. Gillespie at Bopcity then crosses the street to Birdland to see Miles Davis and Stan Getz all in the same night , other times he is hanging out with friends and late night breakfasts in the city (ham and eggs figures alot). Alot of writing on his favorite writers Twain , Balzac and especially his most favorite "old Dusty " (Doestevesky). The first part deals with his completion of Town and City and progresses to his beginning On The Road with anecdotes galore. Kerouac writes like an angel and this is the best book on or by Kerouac since the mid 1960s when he penned his last books. Buy it and keep on a special shelf. We NEED ALL his journals soon but it will be truly remarkable if any are at this level !!!

A Literary Miracle

It's beyond amazing that, after all these years, after all Kerouac's work: novels, poetry, letters, etc. have long been available...that suddenly a brand new book appears...and it's beyond great. It's up there with anything he ever wrote. If you love Kerouac, make getting this book #1 on your list. If I may offer one brief quote (on page 12) on the subject of maturity: "...the flashing exhilirated maddening discoveries and truths of youth, the ones that turn young men into visionary demons and make them unhappy and happier than ever all at once-- the truths later dropped with the condescension of "maturity"-- these truths come back in true maturity, maturity being nothing less than disciplined earnestness--" The book is LOADED with cool stuff like that. Even though I'm not a Christian, all Kerouac's writing about Jesus in these journals don't bother me, because he's writing from an ENLIGHTENED perspective. We are truly lucky that Jack Kerouac existed on Earth; and all those lunkhead critics who dumped their ignorant bad reviews on him all those years ago have been proven to be morons.