The Holy Goof: A Biography of Neal Cassady (Paperback)

by William Plummer (Author) "Jack Kerouac had to wait sex years, until September 1957, to see On The Road published..." (more)
Key Phrases: speed freak, San Francisco, New York, Neal Cassady (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
"Writing with the cloyingly intense passion of the newly converted, Plummer eulogizes Neal Cassady, the long-since enshrined Beat saint aka Dean Moriarty in Kerouac's On the Road and N.C. in Ginsberg's Howl ," reported PW. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Marvelous, an enthralling account of one of the outrageously signal lives of our time, creative, destructive, always compelling." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House Publishers; 1st paperback edition (June 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557782873
• ISBN-13: 978-1557782878
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,928,902 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a love poem biography, May 15, 2002

By	"piscojoe" (Rohnert Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Neal Cassady was a very interesting and multi-faceted muse of the Beat writers and Kesey's Merry Pranksters, certainly an integral part of both generations. Anyone with an interest in these writers must familiarize themselves with Cassady. In this respect Plummer does an adequate job of presenting both Cassady's life and providing some background into the lives of those literary geniuses who immortalized him in their writing.
In all biographies one finds bias, it is an integral and valid part of the art. However, Plummer's bias is almost overwhelming. Constantly comparing Cassady to Chirst, lauding his virtues and beauty, Plummer creates a Cassady that becomes unbelieveable to the reader. Instead of getting to know an amazing man, one finds oneself reading a hero story, the immaculate life of Plummer's Cassady. Even Kerouac, in his works, presents a more balanced view of Neal, whom he loved as his best friend for years.
It is well written and is a decent read but if you are familiar with Cassady's life, you find your self reading a book about Willam Plummer, if you are unfamiliar you find your self reading a story about a man as realistic as Captian America.
There is so much more written on the man, and most is far superior. Read it if you must but you could do better. If adoration of Cassady is what you're looking for, read "Howl" or "On The Road" or "Visions of Cody" or even Cassady's own post-humously published autobiography "The First Third" (especially his letters) and get some great literature under your belt at the same time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Unbiased Reflection, January 18, 2003

By	Kae (Somers, NY) - See all my reviews

Neal Cassady is a man both revered and despised. This book, which anyone interested in the given time period should read, gives an unbiased look at Neal (the Holy Goof and fastestmanalive) and the people who surrounded him: his family, lovers, and friends (Jack Keruoac, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsberg, etc). It neither praises nor degrades him, presenting him merely as a remarkable man and letting you decide for yourself.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure magic...a captivating snapshot of a true American icon, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

The absolute finest of all the Neal biographies....you gain a true appreciation of what it was like to know--to experience-- this crazed, "fastestmanalive" from the people who lived in that special time. Read "On The Bus" by Keasy, and Neal's "First Third"....and THEN read Plummers bio.