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The Dharma Bums

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The Dharma Bums

Written by: Jack Kerouac
Narrated by: Ethan Hawke
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Jack Kerouac’s classic novel about friendship, the search for meaning, and the allure of nature

“In [On the Road] Kerouac’s heroes were sensation seekers; now they are seekers after truth . . . the novel often attains a beautiful dignity.”—Chicago Tribune
First published in 1958, a year after On the Road put the Beat Generation on the map, The Dharma Bums stands as one of Jack Kerouac’s most powerful and influential novels. The story focuses on two ebullient young Americans—mountaineer, poet, and Zen Buddhist Japhy Ryder, and Ray Smith, a zestful, innocent writer—whose quest for Truth leads them on a heroic odyssey, from marathon parties and poetry jam sessions in San Francisco’s Bohemia to solitude and mountain climbing in the High Sierras. Biographical Fiction Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Biography

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What the critics say

"In [On the Road] Kerouac's heroes were sensation seekers; now they are seekers after truth . . . the novel often attains a beautiful dignity, and builds towards a moving climax."
--The Chicago Tribune

"In his often brilliant descriptions of nature one is aware of exhilarating power and originality . . . the entire cast of characters is presented with that not unrefreshing blend of naivete and sophistication that seems to be this author's forte."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Full of sparkling descritions of landscape and weather, light falling through trees, the smell of snow, the motion of animals . . . Jack Kerouac is a writer who cannot be charged with dullness."
--The Atlantic
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Well read but personally I prefer non-actors readers.
I personably prefer books read in a more equal manner like authors read, not acted or theatrical. The way authors read gives more place to your own imagination instead of the imagination of someone else.
I wish we add more choices for classics instead of just famous actors.

Well read but personally I prefer non-actors readers

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Brilliant and evocative. Though you should remember context, there is a sense of 'white guy that just found out about Buddhism and thinks he's an expert' for anyone semi-knowledgeable on the topic and relevant terms. If there is a work that best encapsulates Jack's values (which were, in the end, at odds with his identity) prior to his desolation unraveling, this is it.

Japhy Ryder!

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This is my favourite book, and the performance did it justice. Very fun listen, would recommend.

Amazing

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Absolutly spectacular narration of one of my favorite books. This book is a must read, and now also a must listen.

Strongly suggest also listening or reading: On the Road.

Simply mad:

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This is a beautiful, loving tribute to Jack’s friends, literary and otherwise. Nature is a major character, perhaps the main character. He will take you to mountains, forests, deserts, seashores in all their various and ever-changing moods. I wept at his descriptions of a camp meal and a warm fire at the end of a gruelling day of mountain climbing. I’m getting old and my trekking days are long over, but he brought back the utter weariness and simple satisfaction so perfectly. The stars, seen through his eyes, are spellbinding. Ethan’s reading is warm, expressive and, to use a favourite word of Jack’s, tender.

Wonderful narration by Ethan Hawke of a marvellous book

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