Litmus paper turning neon colors and such

I have to confess a bias for the Grateful Dead, Beat Generation writers and psychedelics. I always been a fan of Ken Kesey, too. That leads to a special affection for this book by Tom Wolfe. I first read this book nearly two decades ago when I was in high school. This was the beginning of my lifelong pursuit of literature, music, art and other stuff.

The title alone is worth the price of admission. I remember my excitement at discovering this book in a bookstore. I was already reading Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. I had an interest in psychedelics from my early fondness for the Doors.

This book is an account of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. These guys were responsible for acid tests throughout California in the early 60s. Ken Kesey conducted "experiments" with mass groups taking acid and listening to the house band play. That house band called the Warlocks would later achieve fame as The Grateful Dead.

One thing I like about the book is that Wolfe does a fabulous job of conveying just how charismatic Ken Kesey must have been in his prime. He provided leadership that turned merely getting stoned into something more cosmic and mystical. It is also interesting reading accounts of Neal Cassady. Cassady inspired Kerouac and inspired a couple songs by the Dead. He never achieved greatness as a writer but his influence is still felt today.

This book really does get into the pulse of the era. Even the episodes with Hell's Angels are intense. The excess drug use will be a turn off to some but the book itself is a thrilling read. It pops and zings across the page in a mad rush. Wolfe can be a bit condescending towards the subjects but overall this is a brilliantly written account of the experience that does both deliver the facts and convey the vibes of the moment.

Anyone interested in the 60s or in psychedelic drugs would do well to read this book. It still rings true some three and a half decades after its been written and indeed some two decades after I read it for the first time.