The first time I read, "On The Road" I was about 15 years old. I remember being at that age of discovering cult fiction and wanted to see for myself as to why so many have this on their list of must reads. I fell in love with this book. The way the sentences flowed, the eccentric prose and the fluidity of it all. It had me at many of times reading it out loud just so I can hear what it sounded like. Come to think of it, I should look for it if it is available as an audible book.
I love the age and the time this was all taken place too. An era when hitchhiking was a viable option for transportation. The way the main character, Sal traveled coast to coast with $50 and sometimes even less. I daydreamed of travelling and viewing the nation in the same manners as Dean, all carefree and just really enjoying the moments of living. Going where ever the winds take you. The freedom from the tired lives of the mundane structure of societal norms. I wonder the amazement of being there when the birth of Jazz and Rock and roll was happening in old smokey hole in the wall bars and clubs. I was really taken for a ride with this book.
I've re-read the book a couple of time throughout my life. It's funny how certain aspects of the book affected me at different ages. How I've changed growing from a a wide eyed teenager filled with awe, the feeling of excitement of discovering new ideas and life experiences. The fire, the ambition I've carried with me at the time thinking I too can blaze a trail into adulthood. "On The Road" always taught me to enjoy it all. Friendships, events, the beauty of life, the love I feel as well as the heartaches I've endured. To take it all in in. There is a quote from Rashi that reminds me of this book.
"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you"
-Rashi
I try to live my life in that way because in the end what are we really left with? Just the memories and the stories we carry.
In 2007 I was also fortunate enough to see
"The Scroll". The famous teletype paper that Jack Kerouac typed the first draft of the novel at The New York Public Library in NYC. Jack typed on this roll of translucent paper in single typed space and he corrected any typos or added notes with pencil. At the end, it measured 127 feet. Three years of collecting stories of traveling across the nation almost three times for the book and it measured into a little over a hundred feet. At the NYC Library about 30 feet of the scroll was rolled out for display inside this giant glass showcase. I loved looking at it. It was impressive to see how tiny the words looked. I've read stories of how Jack was on some Benzynine-or something or some sort of drug that helped him type so prolific. I thought about that as I went up and own that showcase just trying to read The Scroll.
The first time I heard about a movie was going to be made was about the same time I went to see The Scroll. I was afraid that Hollywood wouldn't be able to do it any justice. I always put in consideration that the adaptation wouldn't hold a torch to the book. I just always have to remind myself whenever I watch a movie made from a book that I enjoy, is to always treat it as a different take on someone else view. It's a new medium and should be treated as such. Just like reading about an animal like a fox. You can see pictures of a fox and learn its habits and what type of sounds it can make. Then to actually see it in real life moving and watching the mannerisms as they happen.
The same but different.
Francis Ford Coppola bought the movie rights in 1980 for $95,000 when
Russel Banks approached him with a screenplay for 'On The Road". After watching the 2004 adaptation of "The Motorcycle Diaries", Francis decided on Walter Salles to head the production of "On The Road".
I'm excited for this. I'm a big fan of
"The Motorcycle Diaries". It was just a few weeks ago I came across the movie playing one late night. I remember thinking to myself of the similarities of the travels of the characters of Ernesto & Alberto and Sal & Dean. Not sure of the casting though. I'm going to stop here because my shift is over now and I feel like a complete fanboy ranting about it. I'll address this some other time.
Here is the Trailer to the Motorcycle Diaries. You should watch it.
