Thoughts on the Beat Generation? As much as I can appreciate them contextually/historically, and like some of them more than others (like Ginsberg), I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of them in general, especially some of the stuff that came from Burroughs and Kerouac.
I dunno, as much as they broke away from the very traditionalist mold of their time, I think they seem to have given rise to this oxymoronically tired, pretentious, self-absorbed attitude toward literature. It's a similar sort of distasteful voice I observe in other movements like dirty realism or Gonzo journalism.
>>7594364
>Thoughts on the Beat Generation?
Talentless hacks
Kerouac and Ginsburg are ok. A bit naive and hit or miss.
Burroughs on the other hand is legitimately amazing. Great writer. His experiments with form are well complimented by his beautiful prose and immaculate sense of humor.
It's not hard to see his influence on Pynchon and other respected literary figures.
>>7594417
This tbhf. I kek hard whenever I see people who buy into /lit/ memes too much without understanding the background behind them who fervently praise and defend Ruggles while simultaneously acting like Bill is trash.
I'm far from an expert on beat literature but I thought Howl was a great poem and Naked Lunch was a masterpiece. I plan to read On the Road and the Nova Trilogy sometime this year
I've had a long, loving, and fulfilling relationship as a reader to Kerouac. His core works are nothing short of magnificent.
>>7594721
The Soft Machine is really good.
>>7594729
Not that anon but that's the essay collection right? I read that a lot in high school. Western Lands is my other favorite of his.
I also thought Howl was garbage. I can't believe Ginsberg had the nerve to consider Brautigan to be a shit writer by comparison to his works.
>>7594807
My bad, I was thinking of this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adding_Machine:_Collected_Essays
>Thoughts on the Beat Generation?
degenerates
