Big Sur
Hard Cover. New York: Farrar, Straus, Cudahy, 1962. 1st Edition. Near Fine / Dust Jacket Included.
First edition, first printing. Publisher's black cloth-backed blue marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt; in its original white dust jacket, printed in black, blue, and green, designed by Janet Halverson. Near fine, with a touch of white soiling to front board, light toning to spine ends, spine gilt bright, minor bump to top corner of rear board, and tiny nick to top of pp. 159-163; very good unclipped dust jacket, with light toning to spine and board edges, mild wear to spine ends, a hint of rubbing to front panel, and front flap price crossed out with "1.49" written above in pen. Overall, a very good and clean copy. Big Sur is Kerouac's account of his three visits to beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti's cabin in Big Sur, California. Like many of his other works, the text is semi-autobiographical; Kerouac uses the characters Jack Duluoz and Cody Pomeray to represent himself and his friend Neal Cassidy, respectively. However, unlike in his previous novels, Kerouac presents Duluoz as a successful author rather than a nomadic bohemian. Throughout the text, Kerouac battles with depression, the pressure of fame, and alcoholism, a downward spiral which he attempts to combat by seeking solace in the wilderness. However, despite its overall pessimism, Big Sur contains the witty and humorous writing style that makes Kerouac's writing so beloved. In a description of a week-long bender, Kerouac writes, "I've been sitting in that chair by that fishbowl for a week drinking and smoking and talking and now the goldfish are dead."
Item #JK052
Price: $600.00
