thought

[dzlk]

On The Road is a story of acedia, ultimately.

Trouble is that the narrator's sloth is the author's, so much so that it blurs the book's vision. Benny Profane was more real, to me.

Comments

[meus_ovatio]

I'm quite acedic... er.. .acidic... err... accedory... um... yeah that. Problem is, people interpret acedia over Babylon as kind of some grand soul disease, when really, society sucks ass and the forest is the only thing left worth anything.

[dzlk]

That's what always bugged me about Kerouac, I think. There's nothing wrong with "this sucks, let's go bum around the country being disaffected and hanging out with other disaffected people and talking about it" but it isn't in itself a spiritual condition - it's just society sucking ass and people trying to work out a satisfactory response to that. Or not. Or sort of half-trying now and then as the urge strikes. Which, fair enough. Only, if Babylon truly has nothing to offer then I can't see how an extended introsepction on alienation from Babylon is going to give me much either. I'd rather hear about the forest.