Customer Reviews

The Beats: From Kerouac to Kesey, an Illustrated Journey through the Beat Generation

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A fine introduction/overview of The Beats and their influence on the literary and cultural landscape of America (and beyond). Great pictures. Belongs on the coffee table. A conversation piece.

As a big fan of the Beats, this has to be one of the best overall views of not just the literary scene, but the Beat scene and how it influenced American in the 1950's and 1960's. The history of the gang of three, Kerouac, Burroughs, Ginsberg and their impact on art is captured not only in a concise writing, but great photographs. If you are looking to understand not just the Beats, but the pre-war art scene with painters like Jackson Pollack and musicians like Miles Davis, this is one of the better books.

Not only does it give the history of how all of the Beats became friends, etc, but the book is also filled with great pictures. I have always been interested in the poetry of this generation, but this book really let me in on the historical importance and how the times were changing. I would suggest this to anyone interesting in the Beat generation and contemporary literature/poetry.