On the Road (1957)
0.1974Canon Score · ranked #86 all time
Aggregated from 6 of 14 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the book
Described as everything from a "last gasp" of romantic fiction to a founding text of the Beat Generation movement, this story amounts to a nonfiction novel (as critics were later to describe some works). Unpublished writer buddies wander from coast to coast in search of whatever they find, eager for experience. Kerouac's spokesman is Sal Paradise (himself) and real-life friend Neal Casady appears as Dean Moriarty.
Why it ranks #86
Every list on which On the Road appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Le Monde 100 Books of the Century | Critics' canon | #67 / 100 |
| BBC Big Read Top 200 (2003) | Editorial list | #90 / 200 |
| OCLC/WorldCat Top 500 Novels (2019) | Editorial list | #117 / 500 |
| Guardian 1000 Novels (2009) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Books You Must Read (union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| Telegraph 100 Novels (2009) | Editorial list | Selected |