Kerouac, Jack

Satori in Paris

New York, NY: Grove Press, Inc., 1966. First Edition. Hardcover. "In Satori in Paris, Kerouac brings the candid and innocent joy which informs all his writings of America, to the calmer, less changing world of France. He sees the French as themselves and at the same time, as American counterparts. Flashing in and out of his "travelogue" are scenes and images from his days as a boy, a student, a football player, employed as metaphor or comment on analogous occurrences in his travels. The combination of guileless reportage and shrewd notation, tourist amazement and zany Marx Brothers routines of his own creation, makes this book a bright addition to the Kerouac canon. It sings and bristles with his singular, catholic view of life and the world." (from rear flap) The late, short work of thinly fictionalized memoir-journalism by Jack Kerouac, Founding Father of the Beat Generation. The previous year (1965), Kerouac traveled to Paris & the Brittany region of France to seek his French-Canadian roots & capture the essence of his ancestral country. The result is this quintessentially Kerouacian series of anecdotes & impressions, the diary of a Lonesome Traveler still searching & observing even as his alcoholism enters its final, devastating phase during his last years. Offered here is the first edition, first printing as stated on copyright page, hardcover in unclipped dust jacket published by Barney Rosset's Grove Press, legendary upholder of daring literary freedom & innovation. See Charters, A21(a), pg. 45. A classic in the Kerouac canon, from his premature twilight. Book in near-fine condition with mild wear & a few tiny bumps to edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; moderate rubbing & a few short stain-streaks to back cover; mild rubbing & spotting to edges of text block esp. side edge with series of small spot-stains that bleed very slightly onto a few page leaves. Interior with stamp "From the Library of" previous owner on blank front endpaper; small stains on blank side edges of a few page leaves as noted above incl. front & rear endpapers/ pastedowns; slight browning-sunning of same; otherwise very fine. Dust jacket very fine with only slightest wear & tiny bumps at edges & corners esp. flaps; small area of faint spot-staining to blank area of front flap. Near Fine / Very fine. [Item #3389]

Price: $150.00