• The Dharma Bums

  • By: Jack Kerouac
  • Narrated by: Ethan Hawke
  • Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (748 ratings)

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The Dharma Bums  By  cover art

The Dharma Bums

By: Jack Kerouac
Narrated by: Ethan Hawke
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Publisher's summary

Jack Kerouac’s classic novel about friendship, the search for meaning, and the allure of nature

First published in 1958, a year after On the Road put the Beat Generation on the map, The Dharma Bums stands as one of Jack Kerouac's most powerful and influential novels. The story focuses on two ebullient young Americans - mountaineer, poet, and Zen Buddhist Japhy Ryder, and Ray Smith, a zestful, innocent writer - whose quest for Truth leads them on a heroic odyssey, from marathon parties and poetry jam sessions in San Francisco's Bohemia to solitude and mountain climbing in the High Sierras.

©1958 Jack Kerouac (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"In [On the Road] Kerouac's heroes were sensation seekers; now they are seekers after truth...the novel often attains a beautiful dignity, and builds towards a moving climax." (The Chicago Tribune)

"In his often brilliant descriptions of nature one is aware of exhilarating power and originality...the entire cast of characters is presented with that not unrefreshing blend of naivete and sophistication that seems to be this author's forte." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Full of sparkling descritions of landscape and weather, light falling through trees, the smell of snow, the motion of animals...Jack Kerouac is a writer who cannot be charged with dullness." (The Atlantic)

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What listeners say about The Dharma Bums

Average customer ratings
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Always Timely If You Have the Time

I Enjoy this book every time. Great voice and story momentum. It is a great read or listen.

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What a journey!

Pure humanistic spiritual experience in prose. Kerouac is king and who better to read him than Ethan Hawke? This is one book I will revisit again and again for the sheer beauty and eloquence of its boyish adventure in these three men and what their kinship in nature brought to them and us through through the voice of this gifted poet. A treasured gem.

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A beautiful performance of an amazing novel

It was an absolute delight to listen to this book. It’s long been a favorite of mine. Ethan Hawke truly embodies the spirit and soul that is Kerouac and brings each amazing character to life in this beautiful story of self discovery, friendship, exploitation, wilderness, and soulful
wonder.

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2 people found this helpful

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great voice acting!

lovely book thoroughly enjoyed it and the narration was fantastic very much so reminded me of midnight gospel in a way.

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A Must Read

This book fixes me when I’m down and lost. I’ve read it a few times now and I always find something new and profound to my heart. I think no matter who you are or where you’re from, there is something for you in this story.

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The best!

Can’t believe I hadn’t read this before! Loved it. Ethan Hawke was perfect and feel lucky to have listened to this by him as was meant to be.

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Philosophical and Experiential

I really enjoyed it. i have a bit of a Buddhist background so I was familiar with some of his philosophy, but I was rather critical of the sensualism or hedonism that many of the characters act on. Great read.

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Stupendous narration!

The narrator brought so much dimension and liveliness to Kerouac's writing, making voices for the various characters (in a very non-annoying way) and giving Kerouac the same emphatic tone with which he writes. Highly recommend.

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3 people found this helpful

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A winding swirling journey to Buddhahood

I loved the language and the journey and the characters, and the locations.
Oh yes, the narration made the story alive a Jack would have liked.
Blah!

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    3 out of 5 stars

Kerouac's freewheeling novel, energetically performed

Were it not for Ethan Hawke's lively and rhapsodic performance of Jack Kerouac's roman-a-clef about his younger days with his poetic friends, I might not have finished this audiobook. The characters are constantly on the move, riding the rails, hitch-hiking, or climbing mountains--but the story goes nowhere much. For devotees I'm sure it's nirvana.

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