Reaction to John Holmes

I find the journal entries of John Holmes to be very interesting. So many times you hear of what happened to a celebrity through newspaper accounts or an historians hour by hour account of what led to their death. Holmes’ entries do a great job of not only telling us what happened to Kerouac but also showing us. His detailed descriptions showing how he gained weight, how his mannerisms and speech changed give us a much better idea of what it was like to actually be there with Kerouac as his life spiraled out of control. His entries also give us something else that is very important, how Kerouac’s alcoholism affected his friends. His entries show a deep bond between them. Through heated arguments and disagreements they came out as friends, if not better friends than before. His reaction to Jack’s death demonstrates his devotion to his friend. He had to hear the news for himself before he could truly believe it.