Sexus
Another writer turns a consuming, failing relationship into frantic autobiographical prose.
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The Subterraneans
by Jack Kerouac
A short, breathless account of a consuming affair inside San Francisco’s mid-century underground.
- 1958
About Jack Kerouac
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeKerouac fictionalizes his relationship with Alene Lee as the volatile affair between Leo Percepied and Mardou Fox, written in the rushing spontaneous prose that made memory feel immediate.
What's inside
A writer falls rapidly into an intense relationship with a young woman in San Francisco’s underground scene, then lets jealousy and insecurity help destroy it.
Why we recommend it
Obsession at spontaneous-prose speed
Kerouac tries to catch a relationship’s ecstasy and failure before memory can cool it into order.
What this book explores
Book editions
- Paperback
- Grove Press
- 2022
- 9780802160287
Reader reviews
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document The Subterraneans, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1The Subterraneans — Open Library ISBN catalogue
Official recordOpen Library, Internet ArchiveUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
2The Subterraneans — Google Books edition record
Official recordGoogle BooksUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
3The Subterraneans — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue
Official recordInternet ArchiveUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
4The Subterraneans — Library of Congress books catalogue
Official recordLibrary of CongressUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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