Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poetic, ecstatic, debauched novel that changed literature.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Jack Kerouac's legendary novel ON THE ROAD chronicles the road trips of two friends, Sal and Dean (based on the author and Neal Cassady, respectively), who travel the United States and Mexico, experiencing a life fueled and heightened by drugs, alcohol, and sex. Revered as the defining novel of the Beat Generation -- a post-World War II alternative cultural movement closely identified with jazz, drug and alcohol use, and various other forms of experimentation -- On the Road describes Sal and Dean's world, their experiences and friendships, their struggles to find money and transportation, their drugged and drunken binges, and the tender and ecstatic feelings they have for humanity.
Is It Any Good?
Music and language, and the way Kerouac's writing grew from the sounds of jazz and be-bop, are even more important than the wild events in the novel. Kerouac's novel is an ecstatic literary masterpiece, in which nearly every sentence is worth reading over and over. This is a book that changed literary language, with rapid-fire phrases seeming to follow a syncopated musical rhythm. Yet, Kerouac's clarity is never given over for poetry; the author is ever a clear communicator even while he's accomplishing that rare feat of writing the way music sounds. but This novel glorifies drug and alcohol use, so it is not for immature readers. but for young adults with decent judgment and a love of language, On the Road is a must-read eye-opener.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how On the Road is considered the most important book representing the Beat Generation (a term coined by Jack Kerouac). What defined this cultural movement and the works that it inspired?
Why do you think Sal so drawn to Dean?
Learn more about the Beat Generation by reading works by Jack Kerouac's contemporaries, such as William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Friendship , Transportation ( Cars & Trucks )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Penguin Group
- Publication date : September 5, 1957
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 4, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate