"the novel that defined a generation"

"The Beat Generation is a term used to describe a group of American writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, and also the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired (later sometimes called "beatniks"): a rejection of mainstream American values, experimentation with drugs and alternate forms of sexuality, and an interest in Eastern spirituality."

-wiki

i'm intrigued by those who do things a little differently. not in that contrived "i gotta do things a little differently" way, but in that "i did it my way" kinda way. i didn't really know what they were about, but those beatniks, they seemed like my type. the intriguing type.

an oft-referenced book, i picked up Jack Kerouac's On The Road so i could both learn about these beat folks and find out what all the hype was about. after all, "the novel that defined a generation" is not a light statement. so i needed to see how Kerouac's writing would back that up.

"But then they danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..."

it's a loosely autobiographical story of friendship. Dean Moriarty is a deeply restless soul, operating without a care, without regard for others, just running, speeding, burning for the love of the next adventure. set in the late 40's, we're hooked by Sal Paradise, a burgeoning writer living in dirty Jers' with his aunt. it's a story laced with beautiful depictions of the freedom and uncertainty of standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night, waiting for a stranger to carry you 100 miles closer to your destination. Texas. Chicago. 'Frisco. New Orleans. don't you want to see it all?

but in a tale about roaming, exploring, not being stuck within the confines of the expectations set by a society's rigid social clock, Sal was amazingly pragmatic. he was always a step to the right of Dean's shambles. while Dean seemed destined to one day just burn out, with nothing left but the memory, Sal sat in the front seat of the caddy, driving across the country with him, finding and losing love in Mexico, smoking all the tea the great land could bring forth, breaking up bar fights in Denver, tangled in wild, sweaty, sexual basement parties in New York, and, almost randomly, published a book. for a 21st century generation trying to figure out how to have it all, do it all, there's a lesson in Paradise.