On the Road: the Original Scroll

De: Jack Kerouac

Narrado por: John Ventimiglia

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published as Kerouac originally composed it

“The sparse and unassuming scroll is the living version [of On the Road] for our time. . . . It is a dazzling piece of writing.”—The New York Times Book Review

During three weeks in 1951, Jack Kerouac wrote the first draft of On the Road—typed as a long, single-spaced paragraph on eight sheets of tracing paper, which he taped together to form a scroll. Representing the identifiable point at which his vision and narrative voice first came together in a sustained burst of creative energy, the scroll is the “uncut” version of Kerouac’s masterpiece—rougher, wilder, and more sexually explicit than the edited work that appeared in 1957. On the Road: The Original Scroll is Kerouac’s signature achievement—and one of the most significant, celebrated, and provocative documents in American literary history.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Absolutely Incredible

We are so blessed to have had Kerouac to tell us this tale - this perceptive portrait of a defining American age...

Even better than the published version

I’ve read On the Road several times over the years, but this was my first time with the Original Scroll. Hearing the story with the real people’s names attached and nothing edited out by prudish censors made the book so much truer and immediate. The narrator also does a fantastic job. I love his casual style and NY accent. It is exactly the voice I wanted Jack to have. Whether you’ve read OTR a dozen times or never yet, this is a wonderful version of one of the greatest books in American literature.

Wonderful

Absolutely an incredible novel with beautiful writing, Kerouac transports you through the story of his life with his words. The narration is well done and only adds to it.

Whoa … loved the original scroll

I never fully read the published On the Road but I read Dharma Bums and so I wanted to read this. I loved the real names used and hearing the story so raw. Very beautiful. Great reader.

Better version

What about John Ventimiglia’s performance did you like?

John Ventimiglia must have listened to the recordings of Kerouac, because he captured Kerouac's voice really well. Kerouac had a funny way of pronouncing words with a double o sound, (doom, gloom) and John nailed it.

Any additional comments?

It's worth comparing the scroll with the first-published, edited, and censored version. The scroll is actually a better book.