In 1957, the year that his signature book, On the Road, was first printed, Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac began work on what was to become his third published work, The Dharma Bums. It was written with legendary haste in only ten writing sessions of 15,000 to 20,000 words each, and would be published the following year. Kerouac's novel is told in a loose (though linear) manner in the voice of adventuresome protagonist Ray Smith, detailing his trials and triumphs as he climbs mountains, parties with his friends, and meets all sorts of interesting people while hitchhiking across America.
Like On the Road, Dharma Bums is highly autobiographical. "Ray Smith" is an alias for Kerouac...
