Wake Up by Jack Kerouac

You can’t write about Wake Up without discussing the literary legacy of Jack Kerouac. His break out book was On The Road and the Dharma Bums well-known for the influence it had on the counterculture movement, from the beat generation to the hippies and beyond. Wake Up was never published whilst Kerouac was alive, but fits logically into his other works. His love of buddhist culture and a maturing writing style makes Wake Up the most readable of all Kerouac’s work.

Wake Up is an easy-to-read biography of Prince Siddhartha, from his royal upbringing to his travels, trials and eventual enlightenment. What comes through in every page is Kerouac’s joy and enthusiasm for his subject matter. It’s the work of a man who has found his place in the world. More book reviews here.