Jack Kerouac‘s novels, particularly On the Road, are popular all around the world. When Allen Ginsberg arrived in China in 1984, he was surprised to find Kerouac’s name on the tip of Chinese tongues around the university campuses. When Beatdom editor, David S. Wills, first visited China in 2008, he found Kerouac’s books on street corners and in bookstores across the country. Even his favorite bar was a tip of the cap to Kerouac. Its name was 在路上 – lit. “on the road”.
Kerouac has remained popular in China and over the past decade most of his novels have been translated into the Chinese language and are readily available to shoppers. Let’s take a look some Chinese Kerouac book covers:
On the Road
1990 edition:
1998 edition:
1999 edition:
2001 edition:
October, 2006 edition:
October, 2006 edition:
2009 edition
April, 2011 edition:
July 2011 edition:
July, 2012 edition:
November, 2014 edition:
The Dharma Bums (达摩流浪者) (July, 2008)
Desolation Angels (荒凉天使)
September, 2006 edition:
January, 2008 edition:
Satori in Paris (巴黎之悟)(April, 2010)
And the Hippos Were Boiled in their Tanks (而河马被煮死在水槽里) (January, 2012)
The Beat Generation (垮掉的一代)(play) (June, 2012)
July, 2007 edition:
Orpheus Emerged (俄耳甫斯诞生) (novella; released November, 2012)
The Town and the City (镇与城)(released April, 2013)
Book of Dreams (梦之书)(October, 2013)
Visions of Gerard (吉拉德的幻象)(January, 2014)
Vanity of Duluoz (杜洛兹的虚荣)(March, 2014)
Tristessa (特丽丝苔莎) (April, 2014)
Maggie Cassidy (玛吉·卡西迪)(May, 2014)
Visions of Cody (科迪的幻象) (August, 2014)
The Sea is my Brother (大海是我的兄弟) (November, 2014)
Lonesome Traveler (孤独旅者) (January, 2015)
2007 edition:
April, 2016 edition:
The Subterraneans and Pic (地下人皮克) (January, 2015)
Big Sur (大瑟尔)(July, 2015)
10 Works of Jack Kerouac (杰克·凯鲁亚克作品套装共10本) (published November, 2015)
– an almost certainly illegal Kindle-only collection containing translations of: On the Road, The Beat Generation, The Dharma Bums, Satori in Paris, Book of Dreams, Visions of Gerard, Vanity of Duluoz, Tristessa, Maggie Cassady, Visions of Cody. According to reviews, it is horribly formatted.
Fleeting Lotus: Jack Kerouac and Buddhism (转瞬即逝的莲花:杰克·凯鲁亚克与佛教) by Deng Jianxin (2013)
Not by Kerouac, but about Kerouac. A Chinese language title exploring Jack Kerouac’s relationship with Buddhism.
For more Kerouac covers from around the world, take a look at Dave Moore’s website.
