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Desolation Angels

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About this listen

Originally published in 1965, this autobiographical novel covers a key year in Jack Kerouac’s life—the period that led up to the publication of On the Road in September of 1957.

After spending two months in the summer of 1956 as a fire lookout on Desolation Peak in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington, Kerouac’s fictional self Jack Duluoz comes down from the isolated mountains to the wild excitement of the bars, jazz clubs, and parties of San Francisco, before traveling on to Mexico City, New York, Tangiers, Paris, and London.

Duluoz attempts to extricate himself from the world but fails, for one must “live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” Desolation Angels is quintessential Kerouac.

©1965 Jack Kerouac (P)2025 Blackstone Publishing Action & Adventure Biographical Fiction Classics Genre Fiction Psychological
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Didn’t get very far with this great book. Every line spoken like an evil madman.

Narrators who make choices.

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I've waited for ages for this audiobook to be released - I first read this in about 1969. I was worried that an older me may not find it as interesting as a 14 year old did - but hey this has stood the test of time, The only problem is that there are no divisions for the chapters, just the larger book sections. Very descriptive images and thoughts in a stream of conciousness style that Kerouac is so good at. It follows on from Dharma Bums with Jack spending 63 days as a firewatch on top of Desolation Peak - But for me the book really gets going when the isolation ends and he makes his way back down the mountain and back through mid-fifties America and beyond - all through Jack's own unique perspective and meditations- I love it

Great book but no chapter divisions

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