Satori in Paris

An important read for Kerouac fans, and the copy I recieved was exactly what I hoped for

satori is kerouac being kerouac, the end of the Duluoz Legend, almost like he's just writing you letters. i wish there was a bit more to it, something to end it all, but alas it ends not with a bang but a whimper. pic, his last novel, is great, this is kerouac being mark twain and really shows his talent as a writer, that he can write about something other than himself. and ties into his Duluoz Legend in a cool sort of way too.

This is only mediocre Kerouac, but that's still better than most writers' best stuff. Kerouac's alter-ego wanders around France looking for his roots, but finding only bars and sadness. It's fairly depressing, but extremely short, and contains enough literary gems and insight into the declining state of Kerouac's powers to make it a worthwhile read. But if you are new to Kerouac, read On the Road, Dharma Bums, Desolation Angels, Maggie Cassidy, etc. first.

I have read a lot of Kerouac's travel novels. While he is a pro how does he keep missing trains and connecting flights?

Fairly disjointed novella that captures a drunken and drink damaged Kerouac on a ten day bender in France in 1965 (originally intended as a longer trip around Europe that he cuts short, because), a trip he takes to track down his roots, following a strange obsession with the history of his name. You feel a certain pity for a confused Kerouac as he wanders from bar to bar in Paris and Brest, visits a couple of libraries for info, misses airplanes and trains, can’t find hotel rooms and is often fearful of getting mugged, wandering in the rain. Nonetheless, there’s a certain Kerouac magic in some passages (getting drunk on the train, riding a cab across Paris), but you have to wade through some babble, some boring drunken disquisitions on the history of the name Kerouac and the sort of exhausting confusion of a middle aged alcoholic. Seemingly unintentionally, the book does a great job of capturing the tragedy of alcoholism.

And he takes you with him. I bought this for "Satori in Paris," and it's a "can't put it down" read. Funny, poignant, full of vivid detail and language that jumps out at you.

A great travel guide for Paris if you want to stalk Jack around some of the city! I did! Purchased this one for a gift. The additional novella, Pic, is a plus. JK was a masterful writer!

book is clean and crisp - i will read soon

Great read by a wonderful author, read just before my trip to Paris

loved it

Alles perfekt!

This isn't for everyone,but I found it very moving. The passegers where he is drunk and out of control will ring a bell with a lot of people.

This is Kerouac's incredibly drunken account of his time in Paris as middle-age consumed him. It's a witty, amusing, and thoroughly irrelevant story, but it showcases his alcoholism in full flow. Satori (kick in the eye) In Paris has very little to do with Zen Buddhism (the cover picture is thoroughly inappropriate) and is all about his inebriated trivails around Paris attempting to piece together some family history. He engages with locals rather unsuccessfully, marvels at the Parisian lifestyle, and provides a very entertaining piece of writing. This isn't for anyone new to the writer; purchase On The Road or Dharma Bums before coming to this. Big Sur is also a vital read to show his terrible suffering at the hands of his drinking problem. Once you're done there then Satori is a funny little aside in the life of a great, and ever endearing, writer.