Off the Road: Twenty Years with Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg

The question may be whether to read this before On The Road, or any other JK novel, or after. It is that good, and clarifies CC's viewpoints as well as feelings for her husband, as well as Kerouac and Ginsberg. The timeline is very helpful with understanding JK's style, and very much helps readers see his purpose and message in his series of novels. The book is intelligent and informative. And most importantly, the book is a well-written display of much patience and much love. DD

Amazing book you really get to see the other side of jack Neal and allen

I would rank this lower because Carolyn makes me angry in the end but because this book tells so much about how Jack became so depressed and self medicated with the bottle leading to his rapid decline from alcoholism, it’s seriously a MUST READ! You really understand EVERYTHING!! And it’s all Carolyn’s fault. At any point she could have saved him. She was obviously the love of his life. I will say she definitely holds back in sharing her feelings as much pretending to be this wife devoted to Neal, but you can tell by her tone etc... that she truly loved Jack and definitely more than her husband. I guess she was trying to do what she thought she was supposed to do as a wife during those times. It’s an absolute tragedy! I don’t understand her tone at the end of the book she almost seems cold and indifferent but again I believe she holds back a lot of herself and her TRUE feelings about Jack to save face. Other than the tragic love story that leads to Jack’s ultimate demise, you really learn so much about everything. Combine this with Jack’s books and the documentaries that are out there and you’ll have a “full” picture. This woman went through a LOT I only wish she would have expressed more of how she so obviously felt about the other man in her life.

Some people did not like this book and I can see why I grew up in a town with a bunch of friends who wanted to be the beats, young boys who wanted to be writers and drink coffee.But as I got older I stopped romanticizing a time in history I couldn't even fathom, a time when I myself as a female might not have had such a great time.this book was amazing too me.it makes you realize that these writers were so flawed and had such huge demons. The writing is really amazing and it is an easier more logical approach than anything by Kerouac or other beats. it is a very interesting story.I implore any women or man to read this to understand what it was like to me a woman in the side of beats, before our rights we're fully realized.this book prompted me to sit down with my grandmother and try to understand what it was like for a women of that time.it's well written, a different side and brutally honest (to her point of view) this is honestly one of my most treasured books.i wouldn't read it if you were a die hard fan as it really humanizes some peopleall in all its a great read and insight to very powerful people in the world of history and writing

After watching the movie On The Road, my curiosity was peaked. I was especially interested in the experience of Neal Cassady's wife Carolyn. In the movie she seemed like the "normal one", and very straight-laced. This story amazed me. How she handled being a woman in provincial US 1940s and 1950s and getting pregnant prior to marriage and then marrying a real nut of a man who could be a wonderful supportive husband, and fun and great father, and then who would just as soon plan a trip and disappear on her. She was part of it, of course, but she held her own. I found the story how she had a love affair with Jack Kerouac very interesting, especially with her husbands "permission" even though he was insanely jealous. Also, her reporting of Allen Ginsberg, her feelings toward him in light of the love affair her husband had with him, how she walked in on Allen and Jack, and how she was ostracized by William Burroughs as being "homophobic" for being outraged that they would do that in her own home under her nose. There are letters, and writings of other well known authors and figures of the iconic 60s. Ken Kesey. Gary Snyder. and more. I felt as if I time traveled. I looked at youtube videos in conjunction reading this story and found it all very intriguing and interesting.

I bought this book because I saw Caroline flogging Off The Road on youtube in Scandinavia and since she kept insisting "Buy my book!" I decided to buy her book not knowing what to expect or caring much. Turns out to be quite a readable memoir.

Having been turned onto Kerouac by introduction to Neal Cassady thru my reading about his later antics with Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters - I read "On the Road" several years ago - and found it a great adventure....Reading this book - a viewpoint from Carolyn Cassady's experiences with the three men (Neal,Jack & Allen) - it gave me a very needed and interesting contrasting viewpoint of these "Heroes" of the Beat Generation.Her writing is done well - if you've been interested in the life a Neal Cassady or had read "On the Road", you'll certainly recognize many parts of this book.I just finished reading it - enjoyed it very much - and I'd like to think it gave me a better understanding of what Neal, Jack and Allen were like. My personal opinions of Neal & Jack are somewhat lowered, because of their own faults - and my opinion of Allen raised for how he treated Carolyn.I'm going to go back thru reading Kerouac's works again - with this new image of him kept in mind. If you decide to purchase & read this book - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.