“a satori: the Japanese word for ‘sudden illumination,’ ‘sudden awakening” or simply ‘kick in the eye.’”

The author uses, “my real name here, full name in this case, Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac, because this story is about my search for this name in France.” The name, “simply means House (Ker), In the Field (Ouac) -“. It’s an enjoyable little story, though nothing really happens. I don’t even think he had a satori… Kind of a weak ending to the Duluoz legend.

The second “novel“ in this book is titled “Pic”. (both ‘novels’ are only about 100 pages each). Pic is short for Pictorial Review Jackson, the narrator. He goes from North Carolina to New York and then hitchhikes to California with his brother Slim. It’s written in a vernacular that feels racist in its stereotypes of how a Black person would talk, and that bothered me throughout. I’ve always considered Kerouac to be my favorite author, and it’s sad that this was his final ‘novel’. Such a far cry from “On the Road”… ( )

Satori in Paris and Pic: Two Novels (Kerouac, Jack) by Jack Kerouac (1994)