Jack Kerouac: An Illustrated Biography [Hardcover]

David Sandison (Author), Carolyn Cassady (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

"A visual record of the life and times of one of America's greatest writers. Featuring a foreword by Carolyn Cassady, Kerouac's lover, wife of Neal Cassady, and one of the key figures in his life, this authoritative biography presents perhaps the most judicious look at this tragic genius ever published."--BOOK JACKET.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-Kerouac's frenzied but futile search for meaning-or at least sensation-is documented in near-voyeuristic detail in this disturbing biography. It opens with a brief history of the writer's hometown, Lowell, MA, and his working-class family. YAs follow him to prep school and then Columbia University, where he played football, took up writing, and explored the seamy side of New York before dropping out. Readers meet the many women he loved or at least made love to, including, eventually, the wife of his best friend, Neal Cassady. (She provides the book's foreword.) They learn about the chaotic, uneven creation of his literary style and works, but little about what they say. They watch as his reckless, drug-fueled trips on various roads (literal and metaphorical) become less and less purposeful. Fans of Kerouac who have seen him as a champion of freedom and spontaneity are likely to be sobered and disillusioned by this unsparing look at a talented man whose life was a rush to nowhere. Ironically, the book is beautifully produced, with full-page color reproductions of Kerouac book jackets, interesting black-and-white photographs of varying quality, and outstanding layout and graphics.
Jan Tarasovic, West Springfield High School, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 154 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556523580
• ISBN-13: 978-1556523588
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,946,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars For Completists Only, July 25, 2000

By 

Steve Dossey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Kerouac: An Illustrated Biography (Hardcover)

The only good writing in this book is Carolyn Cassady's introduction. Most of these photos have appeared before. The editing is odd in that there are dozens of good photos of Kerouac that are only 1x1" and several full page photos of city scenes with no Kerouac content whatsovever. The text is lame. For those who want to complete their Kerouac reference librarys no matter the quality of the product.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Illustrated, but not Illuminated, July 12, 2000

By 

MyComa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Kerouac: An Illustrated Biography (Hardcover)

This book offers more unique photos of Kerouac and associates than any other Kerouac book, including "Angel-Headed Hipster." But the same problems with most Kerouac biographies are present in this one as well. The biographer, David Sandison, seems more intrigued by Kerouac's image rather than his substance. Of course, this is why he painstakingly gathered the photos and presented them here. As usual, Kerouac's true motivations and inner demons are given only passing references, in favor of the more cinematic qualities of his life, eg. the women, the booze, and the fast cars. This book is not for the critical Kerouac reader seeking literary insight. It is, instead, for those enamored with the Kerouac Legend.

If you truly want to get personal with Kerouac, pick up anything with Ann Charters' name on it. She has proven, by far, to be the world's most authoritative and compelling Kerouac scholar.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures, January 19, 2002

By 

Patrick Julian Cassidy (San Francisco...Author of "A Journey to Bohemia") - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Kerouac: An Illustrated Biography (Hardcover)

This book features a great collection of photographs
documenting Kerouac and his circle of acquitances
spanning an impressive length of time. I would have liked
the author to have spent a little bit more time
exploring Kerouac's spiritual side, as oppossed to the media
orientated recitation of random incidents, but I
understand for it is the latter which pushes book exposure
and sales. Still, it was a book which I would encourage
others to read.