On the Road: the Original Scroll

By: Jack Kerouac

Narrated by: John Ventimiglia

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published as Kerouac originally composed it

“The sparse and unassuming scroll is the living version [of On the Road] for our time. . . . It is a dazzling piece of writing.”—The New York Times Book Review

During three weeks in 1951, Jack Kerouac wrote the first draft of On the Road—typed as a long, single-spaced paragraph on eight sheets of tracing paper, which he taped together to form a scroll. Representing the identifiable point at which his vision and narrative voice first came together in a sustained burst of creative energy, the scroll is the “uncut” version of Kerouac’s masterpiece—rougher, wilder, and more sexually explicit than the edited work that appeared in 1957. On the Road: The Original Scroll is Kerouac’s signature achievement—and one of the most significant, celebrated, and provocative documents in American literary history.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Better version

What about John Ventimiglia’s performance did you like?

John Ventimiglia must have listened to the recordings of Kerouac, because he captured Kerouac's voice really well. Kerouac had a funny way of pronouncing words with a double o sound, (doom, gloom) and John nailed it.

Any additional comments?

It's worth comparing the scroll with the first-published, edited, and censored version. The scroll is actually a better book.

Mentioned in Gilmore Girls

I read this book because it was mentioned in Gilmore Girls Season 1 Episode 1. I was surprised to actually enjoy the book and it gave me a deeper understanding of how it is used in the show.

An honest classic

Jack Kerouac’s account of his many road trips with his friends will make you feel like you are taking the journey with them. They experience all sorts of crazy things in life that people almost never talk about, but Kerouac is raw and open about his adventures, which is refreshing. After reading it, Kerouac almost feels like a close friend who just told you all of his wild stories on the road and that’s just one of the things that make this book a great read!

P.S. I loved the narrator’s performance!

lovely wild book.

lovely, nice to have it read to me....than reading it 50 years ago.....wild crazy people living outside the box. narrative was very well done.

Incredible journey made better by the performance

This is the best version, hands down. Scroll version and a voice that connects you to the author better than any I have experienced. Masterpiece.