On the Road: the Original Scroll

By: Jack Kerouac

Narrated by: 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.

perfect voice

This audiobook does an amazing job of capturing Kerouac's rhythm and voice. As a longtime fan I was skeptical, but I highly recommend it.

essential audiblechoicethe road goes on foreverlet jack be your guide.

a grate trip across americaaperfect listen fo long rideslet jack be your co pilot neds some coltrane back groud music.

An American classic

Although it's quite a lengthy book, it is magnificently written like one long train of thought of a man traveling across America in the late 1940s and early 50s. The narrator does in excellent job giving life to the story.

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.