Dr. Sax
by Jack Kerouac
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jack KerouacEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-01-13
ISBN: 0802130496
Number of pages: 245
Publisher: Grove Press
Book Reviews of Dr. Sax
Book Review: Adolescence in all its messy terror & wonder
Summary: 5 Stars
This is surely Kerouac's most dreamlike book, even moreso than his collected "Book of Dreams." Both the narrative & the prose itself have the astonishing plasticity of dreams -- the most mundane events are charged with mythic meaning, while the most bizarre & fantastic events are accepted in a matter-of-fact fashion. Memories flow, merge, morph as young Jack experiences the realities & fantasies of his adolescence, with no clear dividing line between them, interacting both with his friends & the pulpish mentor & guide, Dr. Sax.
As we grow older, we usually tend to forget how intense & overwhelming adolescence was for us -- at the very least, it fades into something less immense, smoothed into nostalgia & wry bemusement. But Kerouac never forgot. He never lost that child's inner eye & heart. While that often made his personal life a terribly vulnerable & painful affair, it made his writing immeasurably intimate & immediate, so that he doesn't just remember the past, he relives it. And he makes us feel all that he's feeling, as if the pages are soaked in memories that seep into our own skin.
As other reviewers have noted, this probably isn't the ideal starting point for reading Kerouac. It's certainly not as accessible as "On the Road" or "The Dharma Bums." But to my mind, it's one of the most underrated experimental works of modern literature, with a richness & warmth that stay with the reader for a very long time. Most highly recommended!
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