Dharma Bums was probably my favorite thing we read all
quarter. I was a bit concerned at first when I saw it on the syllabus since all
I knew of Kerouac was On the Road (not a book I am very fond of to say the least)
but when someone explained that The Dharma Bums was the opposite side of On The Road's radical chase of life’s meaning through indulgence and decadence, I was
a bit more optimistic.
Dharma Bums, for me, was a quite eye-opening novel. I’ve never been interested in Eastern philosophy or religion (admittedly, I have an issue with white bobos and their fetishizing of the East) but this book turned me onto the ideas of Zen. I liked its balanced characters and more positive outlook on the search for meaning in life. Its tone and voice reminded me a lot of a similar novel by Somerset Maugham, The Razor’s Edge, which also dealt with the same themes as Dharma Bums.
I think Kerouac’s writing style makes the novel work so well. In the end, I liked the book because of Ray’s voice. I really enjoyed his seemingly skeptical, albeit eventually inspirational narrative style. Ray’s quote sums it all up quite nicely for me “Now there’s the karma of these three men here: Japhy Ryder gets to his triumphant mountaintop and makes it, I almost make it and have to give up and huddle in a bloody cave, but the smartest of them all is that poet’s poet lying down there with his knees crossed to the sky chewing on a flower dreaming by a gurgling plage, goddammit they’ll never get me up here again.”
Dharma Bums, for me, was a quite eye-opening novel. I’ve never been interested in Eastern philosophy or religion (admittedly, I have an issue with white bobos and their fetishizing of the East) but this book turned me onto the ideas of Zen. I liked its balanced characters and more positive outlook on the search for meaning in life. Its tone and voice reminded me a lot of a similar novel by Somerset Maugham, The Razor’s Edge, which also dealt with the same themes as Dharma Bums.
I think Kerouac’s writing style makes the novel work so well. In the end, I liked the book because of Ray’s voice. I really enjoyed his seemingly skeptical, albeit eventually inspirational narrative style. Ray’s quote sums it all up quite nicely for me “Now there’s the karma of these three men here: Japhy Ryder gets to his triumphant mountaintop and makes it, I almost make it and have to give up and huddle in a bloody cave, but the smartest of them all is that poet’s poet lying down there with his knees crossed to the sky chewing on a flower dreaming by a gurgling plage, goddammit they’ll never get me up here again.”
I’m pretty tempted now to check out On the Road due to my familiarity with Kerouac’s style and the
monolithic nature of that novel.
I agree with everything you're talking about. I have a problem with wanting to be one of these characters, running around with a back pack and getting drunk, but I know that its not really a thing that i should throw away all the opportunities I have for.
ReplyDeleteDharma Bums is my first Kerouac experience also! I am excited to read On The Road now and compare the two. Maybe it is possible to live out of a backpack? One needs to at least try right? I hope to test that out this summer accompanied by On The Road..
ReplyDeleteDharma Bums is my first Kerouac experience also! I am excited to read On The Road now and compare the two. Maybe it is possible to live out of a backpack? One needs to at least try right? I hope to test that out this summer accompanied by On The Road..
ReplyDelete