Book description
Never before published in Kerouac's lifetime, this 1955 biography of
the founder of Buddhism is a clear and powerful study of Siddartha
Gautama's life and works. Wake Up recounts the story of Prince
Siddhartha's royal upbringing and his father's wish to protect him
from all human suffering, despite a prediction that he would become a
great holy man in later life. Departing from his father's palace,
Siddhartha adopts a homeless life, struggles with his meditations, and
eventually finds Enlightenment.
Written at the end of Kerouac's career, when he became increasingly
interested in Buddhist teachings, and collected for the first time in
one book, this fresh and accessible biography is both an important
addition to Kerouac's work and a valuable introduction to the world of
Buddhism itself.
Jack Kerouac was an American novelist, writer, poet and artist. Along
with William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, he is amongst the best
known of the writers (and friends) known as the Beat Generation. Kerouac
spent many of the years between 1947 and 1951 on the road, inspiring the
partly autobiographical and greatly acclaimed novel
On the Road
. Kerouac's search for a life worth living in the 1950's led him to
recreational drug use and to travel, not only across North America but
throughout the world. In 1954, Kerouac discovered Dwight Goddard's
A
Buddhist Bible
at the San Jose library, which marked the beginning of his immersion
into Buddhism. Kerouac's work was popular, but received little critical
acclaim during his lifetime. Today, he is considered an important and
influential writer who inspired others, including Tom Robbins, Lester
Bangs and Ken Kesey, and musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan and
Morrissey.
