🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac was an American published author of fiction. Jack was born Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac on March 12, 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts. His family was French-Canadian and he was raised in a home that spoke French. He was 6 years old when he learned English and was said to have retained an accent into the late teenage years. His parents had three children, of which he was the youngest. When World War II arrived, he served as part of the U.S. Merchant Marine. He would write his first book while in service, although it wouldn’t be published until after he died (40 years after, what would be The Sea Is My Brother).
All Book Series by Jack Kerouac
And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks
Book 2 of 15 · published 1945 Co-authored · William S. Burroughs
Piers of the Homeless Night
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2018
Escape to Mexico: An Anthology of Great Writers
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2002
Scenes Along the Road: Photographs of the Desolation Angels, 1944-1960
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 1985
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jack Kerouac?
Jack Kerouac was an American published author of fiction. Jack was born Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac on March 12, 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts. His family was French-Canadian and he was raised in a home that spoke French.
Which Jack Kerouac series should I start with?
Jack Kerouac's books stand alone rather than forming a numbered series, so there is no reading order to follow. The natural first pick is The Sea Is My Brother (1942).
How many books has Jack Kerouac written?
Jack Kerouac has 54 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1942 and 2019. They are filed under 5 categories rather than in numbered series — chiefly Collections, Standalone Novels and Non-Fiction.
In what order should Jack Kerouac's series be read?
No reading order is needed: none of the 54 books catalogued here do not form a numbered series, so any title can be picked up first. Within each category they are listed by publication year.
How are Jack Kerouac's books organised into series?
This guide splits Jack Kerouac's 54 books into categories rather than numbered series: Collections (17 books); Standalone Novels (15 books); Non-Fiction (11 books); Anthologies (7 books); Short Stories/Novellas (4 books).