This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2023
KEROUAC, Jack (1922-1969). On the Road. New York: The Viking Press, 1957.
8vo. Original black cloth lettered in white, red top stain (spine a bit skewed); original unclipped dust jacket (a bit of edgewear, few small tears with losses on rear panel and near head, few old tape repairs on verso).
FIRST EDITION of arguably the most important post-war American novel. IN THE FIRST STATE DUST JACKET with “$3.95” price and red and blue stripes on rear panel. In On the Road, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are prevalent in nearly every scene and are used by Kerouac to draw connections between intense drug use and wisdom. This core ideology of drug use and subsequent experiences while under the influence used by the Beat Generation defied social constructs and were employed to draw parallels between characters Sal Paradise (drug user) and a sober Dean Moriarty as they embarked on a journey through post-war America. Kerouac, also a heavy drug user, wrote On the Road in a partially autobiographical point of view as he was known to undertake long writing sessions with the aid of Benzedrine, nicotine, and caffeine. Charters A2. A Horowitz high spot.