On the Road: The Original Scroll

(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Fiction & Literature, Coming of Age, Classics, Literary
Cover of the book On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jack Kerouac ISBN: 9781101201572
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: August 16, 2007
Imprint: Penguin Classics Language: English
Author: Jack Kerouac
ISBN: 9781101201572
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: August 16, 2007
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Language: English

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published word for word as Kerouac originally composed it

Though Jack Kerouac began thinking about the novel that was to become On the Road as early as 1947, it was not until three weeks in April 1951, in an apartment on West Twentieth Street in Manhattan, that he wrote the first full draft that was satisfactory to him. Typed out as one long, single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper that he later taped together to form a 120 foot scroll, this document is among the most significant, celebrated, and provocative artifacts in contemporary American literary history. It represents the first full expression of Kerouac’s revolutionary aesthetic, the identifiable point at which his thematic vision and narrative voice came together in a sustained burst of creative energy. It was also part of a wider vital experimentation in the American literary, musical, and visual arts in the post-World War II period.

It was not until more than six years later, and several new drafts, that Viking published, in 1957, the novel known to us today. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of On the Road, Viking will publish the 1951 scroll in a standard book format. The differences between the two versions are principally ones of significant detail and altered emphasis. The scroll is slightly longer and has a heightened linguistic virtuosity and a more sexually frenetic tone. It also uses the real names of Kerouac’s friends instead of the fictional names he later invented for them. The transcription of the scroll was done by Howard Cunnell who, along with Joshua Kupetz, George Mouratidis, and Penny Vlagopoulos, provides a critical introduction that explains the fascinating compositional and publication history of On the Road and anchors the text in its historical, political, and social context.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published word for word as Kerouac originally composed it

Though Jack Kerouac began thinking about the novel that was to become On the Road as early as 1947, it was not until three weeks in April 1951, in an apartment on West Twentieth Street in Manhattan, that he wrote the first full draft that was satisfactory to him. Typed out as one long, single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper that he later taped together to form a 120 foot scroll, this document is among the most significant, celebrated, and provocative artifacts in contemporary American literary history. It represents the first full expression of Kerouac’s revolutionary aesthetic, the identifiable point at which his thematic vision and narrative voice came together in a sustained burst of creative energy. It was also part of a wider vital experimentation in the American literary, musical, and visual arts in the post-World War II period.

It was not until more than six years later, and several new drafts, that Viking published, in 1957, the novel known to us today. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of On the Road, Viking will publish the 1951 scroll in a standard book format. The differences between the two versions are principally ones of significant detail and altered emphasis. The scroll is slightly longer and has a heightened linguistic virtuosity and a more sexually frenetic tone. It also uses the real names of Kerouac’s friends instead of the fictional names he later invented for them. The transcription of the scroll was done by Howard Cunnell who, along with Joshua Kupetz, George Mouratidis, and Penny Vlagopoulos, provides a critical introduction that explains the fascinating compositional and publication history of On the Road and anchors the text in its historical, political, and social context.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Guilty Minds by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Perfect $100,000 House by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Master of Swords by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Judgment in Death by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Thief of Lives by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Mastering the VC Game by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Duchess Diaries by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Color Your Life by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Cat Bible by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Hot Body Diet by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Red Hot Kitchen by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book Slay Bells by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book The Last Templar by Jack Kerouac
Cover of the book India Black and the Rajah's Ruby by Jack Kerouac
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy