Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

[bettertomorrowamy]

Some talk of tantric sex, but mostly about nature and solitude....lots of Buddhism too.  I like this book much more than "On The Road".

[call_me_nuveena]

This one I haven't read, but speaking of On the Road, I recently saw a slew of new books written about Kerouac and On the Road.  Personally, I'll never really understand why people write books about books.

P.S. - I'll be sure to pick up Dharma Bums.

[bettertomorrowamy]

I think it's the 50th anniversary of "On The Road".

[Tripe]

I read The Dharma Bums on a rainy afternoon in my home town's library (I read The Commitments the same way) It was probably better than On the Road but truly I don't recall either too well. Kerouac is nowhere near as good a writer as Ginsberg or Bukowski.

[bettertomorrowamy]

I wouldn't go that far.  I haven't read a lot of Ginsburg, but I have read a ton of Bukowski.  Kerouac books are a lot less introspective than Bukowski.
There is internal dialogue in Kerouac books, but it isn't the whole book like in Bukowski books.  Bukowski is pretty self-absorbed which is not a bad thing.  Kerouac ENJOYS meeting new people with different ideas, while Bukowski hates people in general.

Right now I'm on a big Bukowski kick though so I have to agree I like him better.  But I'm sure that will change.

[mrbasehart]

I really loved On the Road, but some of the other works I've tried by him - Lonesome Traveller, Visions of Cody - just tried my patience.  For a guy who seems to travel a lot, his prose can sometimes go no where.