''Big Sur'' is a 1962 novel by
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian a ...
, written in the fall of 1961 over a ten-day period, with Kerouac typewriting onto a teletype roll. It recounts the events surrounding Kerouac's (here known by the name of his fictional alter-ego Jack Duluoz) three brief sojourns to a cabin in Bixby Canyon,
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...
, California, owned by Kerouac's friend and
Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti; at the same time dealing with his
increased drinking and declining
mental health. It is Kerouac’s first novel to be fully written following his success in the late 1950’s, and thus departs from his previous fictionalized autobiographical series in that the character Duluoz is shown as a popular, published author; most of Kerouac's previous novels instead portray him as a
bohemian traveller.
Synopsis
The novel depicts Jack Duluoz's mental and physical deterioration in the late 1950s. Despite having found mainstream success with his work, Duluoz is unable to cope with a suddenly demanding public, and is battling advanced alcoholism. He seeks respite first in solitude in the cabin at Big Sur, on the California coast, and later in a relationship with Billie, the mistress of his long-time friend Cody Pomeray (
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady (February 8, 1926 – February 4, 1968) was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic and counterculture movements of the 1960s.
He was prominently featured as himself in the "scroll" (first d ...
). Duluoz finds respite in the Big Sur wilderness, but is driven by loneliness to return to the city, and resumes drinking heavily.
Across Duluoz's subsequent trips to Big Sur and interleaved lifestyle in
San Francisco, he drunkenly embarrasses Cody by introducing Billie to Cody's wife, and finds himself unable to emotionally provide for the increasingly demanding Billie (who proves to be
mentally unstable
''Mentally'' is a 2017 Nigerian film written, produced and directed by James Abinibi. The movie stars Kunle Idowu, Toyin Abraham, Woli Arole and Adekunle Gold
Synopsis
The movie revolves around a young man who went to Lagos, a place where he ...
herself) and to integrate into suburban life. On Duluoz’s third and final trip to Big Sur, he brings friends Dave Wane and Româno Schwartz (
Lew Welch and
Lenore Kandel), along with Billie her son Elliot. The peaceful trip soon goes afoul when Duluoz’s inner turmoil culminates in him having several
panic attacks. The group leaves the following day.
An addendum to the book contains a
free verse poem by Kerouac, "Sea: Sounds of the Pacific Ocean at Big Sur", written from the perspective of the Pacific Ocean.
Character key
Kerouac often based his fictional characters on his friends and family.
[Sandison, David. ''Jack Kerouac: An Illustrated Biography.'' Chicago: Chicago Review Press. 1999]
Film adaptation
A
film adaptation of the novel, directed by
Michael Polish
Mark Polish and Michael Polish (born October 30, 1970), known informally as the Polish brothers, are American twin screenwriters and film producers. Michael usually directs their films, and Mark often has an acting role.
Life
The Polish brothe ...
, was released in 2013. The cast includes
Jean-Marc Barr as Kerouac,
Josh Lucas as Neal Cassady,
Radha Mitchell as Carolyn Cassady,
Henry Thomas as Whalen,
Anthony Edwards as Ferlinghetti,
Balthazar Getty as McClure,
Patrick Fischler as Welch, and
Stana Katic
Stana Katic (; born ) is a Canadian-American actress and producer. She played Kate Beckett on the ABC television romantic crime series ''Castle'' (2009–2016) and Agent Emily Byrne in the thriller series '' Absentia'' (2017–2020).
Early lif ...
as Kandel.
[Stephen Baldwin]
"Cast set for film adaptation of Kerouac’s Big Sur,"
''National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with M ...
'', April 15, 2011.
References
External links
Summary and analysis of novel
* ttps://www.flickr.com/photos/29873672@N02/sets/72157607303986010/detail/ Gallery of ''Big Sur'' book coversbr>''Big Sur'' at the Internet Movie Database
{{Kerouac
1962 American novels
American novels adapted into films
Novels by Jack Kerouac
Novels set in California
Novels about alcoholism