Wake Up

“[Wake Up] contributes significantly to the fascinating picture of Kerouac’s spirituality, revealing the depth of Kerouac’s identification with the Buddha.”—The Beat Review

“The long, streaming style makes the book majestic and something that you absorb in one sitting, like a symphony.”—Robert A. F. Thurman, from the Introduction
 
In the mid-1950s, lifelong Catholic Jack Kerouac became fascinated with Buddhism, an interest that had a profound impact on his ideas of spirituality and later found expression in such works as Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums. Originally written in 1955, Wake Up is Kerouac’s retelling of the life of Prince Siddhartha Gotama, who as a young man abandoned his wealthy family and comfortable home for a lifelong search for enlightenment.
 
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