One of the greatest books of the new age, Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' is a book that managed to completely redefine a generation. Over the years, it has managed to convince people to put down their books, leave their jobs, just get in the car and drive till the wheels drop off. The intensity with which Kerouac wrote this book, rumor has it that he finished the entire novel in three books, begs to be withdrawn out into the open, where people can feed off it. And it does succeed. The book reeks of an adrenaline rush which matches the excitement of the characters in the plot.
The protagonist, Sal Paradise is in complete thrall of Dean Moriarty and he would do anything to envelop the aura of specialness that accompanies the latter wherever he goes. In the four broad parts the book is divided into, Sal travels from one coast of the country, USA, to another, eventually ending up at Mexico. He does not want to settle down anywhere and nor does he end up doing it. In the meantime, Dean Moriarty manages to become a lot crazier and has many more wives and children en-route. He likes to live his life on the edge, treading a thin line between the sane and otherwise but there is a magic to his actions, a sense of a belonging to the world and to no one in particular which symbolizes the entire Beat generation. Kerouac apparently had based the character of Dean on his childhood friend, Neal Cassady.
The ending of the book sees Sal and his new girlfriend moving to San Francisco with Dean appearing to help them. But as life has it, he disappears for a final time and leaves Sal in his wake, reminiscing about the adventures they had together and the way life changed. Though the book garnered a lot of praise at the time of its release, it has been the years after it, when it has managed to grow into the annals of stardom. And in doing so, it has managed to make the American road-trip a sort of utopia.
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Drawing is one of those skills which everyone remembers doing in school but have long since forgotten about it. So if you are one of those people who would want to exercise those drawing skills again, then head straight to the Book Chums website. The site features an impressive array of drawing books and e-books which could coax even the most hardened person to give drawing a shot.
Drawing is an art form which has been in existence since time immemorial. It has been there for as long as human beings have existed. The ancient drawings on the walls of caves found from pre-historic eras prove this fact. Of course, the style of drawing and sketching has long since evolved into more sophisticated forms but the essence of it remains the same. People draw because it is an enjoyable art form. It gives the artists immense satisfaction to sit back and look at the drawing once it is done. Book Chums realizes the importance of accentuating this talent and hence features a long list of drawing books for every age.
Apart from this, Book Chums features a wide list of drawing books and e-books which can be classified into different categories. All of the books are aimed at pleasing all crowds of artists, be it sketching, drawing or simple painting. Also, the site focusses individual importance on the different types of drawing and painting for everyone to feel at home at the site.
For the beginner to drawing or painting, it is important that he/she realizes that there is a lot more to it than simply dabbing a few colours on to the canvas or drawing a few lines. There are a number of different schools of drawing and painting according to the various styles involved. For instance, there are schools dedicated to the form of drawing or painting which you can do. A few of them include modernist painting, impressionism painting, Baroque painting and more simply sketching and charcoal drawing. So itâEUR(TM)s up to the artists within you to determine which form of drawing, you are best suited for and take a jab at it. Whatever be the school of art you decide to take up, be assured that Book Chums will make the learning process an easy and enjoyable one!