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The Subterraneans

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Subterraneans by Jack Kerouac is a vivid exploration of the Beat Generation's lifestyle, delving into the emotionally charged and tumultuous relationship between the narrator, loosely based on Kerouac, and a woman he meets in San Francisco. The novella captures the essence of their passionate encounters, coloured by the vibrant cultural and artistic milieu of the time. Filled with stream-of-consciousness prose, it offers an intimate glimpse into the complexities of romance within a Bohemian backdrop.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by the Beat Generation and intrigued by the free-flowing, prose-poetry style that delves into themes of love, identity, and the complexity of human relationships. Its exploration of bohemian lifestyle and a candid portrayal of 1950s San Francisco offer a compelling glimpse into a unique cultural moment.

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The Subterraneans haunt the bars and clubs of San Francisco, surviving on a diet of booze and benzedrine, Proust and Verlaine. Living amongst them is Leo, an aspiring writer, and Mardou, half-Indian, half-Negro, beautiful and neurotic. Their bitter-sweet and ill-starred love affair sees Kerouac at his most evocative.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of Kerouac's most enduring and touching works.

The Subterraneans haunt the bars and clubs of San Francisco, surviving on a diet of booze and benzedrine, Proust and Verlaine. Living amongst them is Leo, an aspiring writer, and Mardou, half-Indian, half-Negro, beautiful and neurotic. Their bittersweet and ill-starred love affair sees Kerouac at his most evocative. Many regard this as being Kerouac's most touching and tender book.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141184890

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 March 2001

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Ann Douglas

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 6.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 92g

Pages: 112

About the Author

Jack Kerouac wrote a number of highly influential and popular novels - most famously the international bestseller On the Road - and is remembered as one of the key figures of the legendary Beat generation. As much as anything, he came to represent a philosophy, a way of life. Jack Kerouac died in 1969.

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