I found this book so hard to finish, and contemplated a few times if it were truly worth finishing. While I didn't mind Kerouac's writing style, by the end of part one the whole story felt a little redundant: same thing, different city. I can see why it became popular at it's time, it fit into a larger cultural shift going on. After reading many reviews it seems like for many people it awakened a sense of carefree adventure, and now evokes a sense of nostalgia, but I struggle to consider it a classic. Yes, it defined the beat generation, but I'm not convinced it will not stand the test of time for future generations.
I found this book so hard to finish, and contemplated a few times if it were truly worth finishing. While I didn't mind Kerouac's writing style, by the end of part one the whole story felt a little redundant: same thing, different city. I can see why it became popular at it's time, it fit into a larger cultural shift going on. After reading many reviews it seems like for many people it awakened a sense of carefree adventure, and now evokes a sense of nostalgia, but I struggle to consider it a classic. Yes, it defined the beat generation, but I'm not convinced it will not stand the test of time for future generations.