The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac 1958 - The Viking Press, New York - First Edition Who were all these strange ghosts rooted to the silly little adventure of earth with me? And who was I?’

A fine first edition in bright dust jacket with far less than the usual rubbing to which this black jacket is prone. Kerouac’s chronicle of carefree wanderers learning to meditate Buddhist style, the story of Ray Smith – obviously Kerouac himself – who after a self-imposed discipline in the wilds of Sierra Madres, and sixty days of summer solitude on the mountain top lookout Desolation Peak, returns to the world with a new ‘
vision of the freedom of eternity...’

‘Book ends with a great holy Blah! At last America has a new visionary poet. So let us talk of Angels.’ - Allen Ginsberg.
  Jean-Louis ‘Jack’ Kerouac (1922-1969) was an American novelist and poet, and is considered a literary iconoclast, alongside fellow writers Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Recognised for his spontaneous prose, he was one of the pioneers of the Beat Generation.

Reference: Charters,
Kerouac: A Biography, A4a. Ross, ‘Beat – and Buddhist’ The New York Times 1958.

Octavo (book size 21x14cm), pp. [8] 244 [4]. In publisher’s black cloth, spine lettered in silver and metallic green, metallic green lettering to upper board, light green topstain. Dust jacket priced at $3.95 to upper corner of front flap.
  Condition: Fine but for some gentle fading of top stain, in near fine dust jacket, colours bright, wear to corners and spine ends, lighter than usual rubbing to black along folds and upper panel.   Ref: 111020   Price: HK$ 14,000