The Road Was Life But Not Friendship

Racing across the Great American Night doesn't sound so attractive anymore. I'm nearly finished reading of On the Road, for at least the third time, and except for a few lyrical descriptions, I'm very disappointed. The phrase "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" comes to mind. Maybe I have grown old. Maybe I have grown up. The book now makes me sad. The energy consumes itself. Dean Moriarty has become extremely tedious. I want to slap him silly. How did this happen? The old doper in New Orleans is the only character I find sympathetic, and maybe some of the people whose hospitality is taken advantage of.

I recall a professor literature expressing the critical view the Kerouac ruined the beautiful description of New Orleans and the delta with the remark that "Mary Lou went to the john." At the time, I thought, "so what?" It didn't really break the mood that much.

My dislike of the characters is a complete surprise to me. Sal Paradise, the narrator, is just barely all right, but Dean Moriarty is a world class jerk.

On the Road is, or course, the classic "buddy" road book, but I don't think Dean is capable of being a friend. I'm also re-reading Proust, and thinking about Bloch (superficial friend) and St. Loup (so far good friend). The awful Verdurins and their friends. The Guermantes and their friends. And I see superficial friendships abound. Maybe it is the way of the world. And old friends are often like family, with the long history and the squabbles and the backbiting.

My mother had so many good friends, and she valued friendship and I always noticed how she gave flowers, and garden produce, and kept in touch and went the extra mile. I do have a few good friends, and I treasure them. The "theme" if you will, of Festival Madness is friendship.
I don't think my writing group is all that keen on Festival Madness. The book they like best, Promiscuous Mode, beginning to look like another dud although it is the least technical and has all sorts of cool stuff like bass fishing, casinos, sex and well, yanno, good topics.

Tomorrow we are setting up a booth at a book fair, and that should be fun. I love books, even books that I don't love as much as formerly, like On the Road.

In a somewhat sad, philosophical mood,

Grapeshot