The Dharma Bums

Jack Kerouac's follow up to On the Road read by his fellow Beat Generation icon Allen Ginsberg. Ray Smith is a young man seeking a life of simplicity and truth. Another young man, Japhy Rhyder, becomes instrumental in leading Ray to Buddhism as they embark upon a spiritual quest. Their journey takes them from the Bohemian parties of San Francisco to the natural beauty of the High Sierra mountains. Through such books as Doctor Sax and The Subterraneans, Jack Kerouac was an inspiration to the beat culture, hippies, and dharma seekers of the 1950s and 60s. Kerouac first achieved international success with On the Road, a semi-autobiographical novel published in 1957. This was followed by more semi-fictional accounts including The Dharma Bums. In this novel, Ray Smith and Japhy Rhyder serve as stand-ins for Kerouac and poet Gary Snyder, while the Alvah Goldbook character is fellow Beat Generation compatriot Allen Ginsberg. On this unique recording of The Dharma Bums, two literary giants join forces again as Ginsberg movingly evokes the exultant style of his beloved friend.