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JACK KEROUAC

Name: JACK KEROUAC
Author: Jack Kerouac
ISBN: 0140234446

SELECTED LETTERS 1940-1956

by Jack Kerouac ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1995

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A stunningly rich set of letters that at times reads like a new Kerouac novel. The ground covered here will not be new to those who have read Charters's biography of the writer (Jack Kerouac: A Life, not reviewed), but the sheer pleasure of hearing Kerouac's voice in this correspondence makes it well worth reading. The letters cover the years from Kerouac's college days at Columbia (1940-44) through 1956, when On the Road was published; it was the period in which he produced most of works that later made him famous. Through his correspondence with his mother, sister, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, William S. Burroughs, and others, we see the young writer's reactions to his circumstances and the growth of his self-understanding as a literary artist. The long letters back and forth between Kerouac and Ginsberg offer a valuable reminder that these revolutionary stylists were also deeply traditional in their belief that study of those who had preceded them was essential: They read, reread, discussed, dissected, and sometimes revered writers ranging from Percy Bysshe Shelley to Thomas Wolfe. Burroughs appears larger than life as he both engages and eludes his peers in the generation that would redefine American literature. The near-constant flow of family communication is perhaps even more delightful, as the young artist reports on his wild travels to his doting mother and loving sister. Selections describing events that show up later in the novels — Kerouac's first meetings with Neal and Carolyn Cassady in Denver, promiscuous indulgences in Mexico, long cross-country road trips, dissipations in New York City — will be irresistible to fans of Jack and the Beats. Throughout, Kerouac comes across as a sincere and honest soul who was fiercely devoted to friends, family, and the search for passionate experience and art. Its value for scholars shouldn't obscure this terrific volume's broader appeal.

Pub Date: March 1, 1995

ISBN: 0140234446

Page Count: 544

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SEA IS MY BROTHER
by Jack Kerouac

- BOOK REVIEW
JACK KEROUAC'S <I>ON THE ROAD<I>
by Jack Kerouac

- BOOK REVIEW
AND THE HIPPOS WERE BOILED IN THEIR TANKS
by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.