On the Road!

I'm reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac now, which I find infinitely more interesting than most other books. The way it is written amuses me to no end. The sentences are so eloquently written but in a subtle, casual way for which I could only ever wish to posses the talent. Every type of punctuation is used in this book, including, but not limited to, commas, colons, semicolons, dashes, parentheses, and the rare but occasional period. The sentences are long enough to be whole paragraphs and they play in my mind like I am being read to because they are written in such a conversational manner. They beg to be read aloud, and often if I am home alone, I submit to their pleas. I can imagine every thought in Kerouac's mind and just how he was thinking it and there is little discrepancy in my mind between what he means and how I interpret it; how could there be when he has left so few gaps in the message and tone he conveys? I have been reading literary criticisms on his work for an activity in AP Lit, and many of them criticize Kerouac for the same qualities I have just so clearly expressed an affinity for, which makes me think that those critics are not as open-minded as a critic should be (or maybe we just differ in opinion, but I know I'm right). These critics say that Kerouac is not a good writer, what was the publisher thinking, it is a shame to compare him to such renowned writers as Twain, etc. etc. Whatever. Kerouac is deep in a specific way, but openly writes about the shallowness of the life on the road he and many others from the beat generation chose to lead. He writes with a sense of music and rhythm and I enjoy reading it. Satisfied customer. Isn't that all publishers really care about anyway?