Sal Paradise, young and innocent, join the slightly crazed Dean Moriarty on a breathless, exuberant ride back and forts across the United States.Their hedonistic search for release or fulfilment through drink, sex drugs and jazz becomes an exploration of personal freedom, a test of the limits of the American dream. A brilliant blend of fiction and autobiography, Jack Kerouac's exhilarating novel defined the new 'beat' generation. It had tremendous impact on both sides of the Atlantic and made him famous overnight.