A critic of the 'Beat'

WHile reading this review of "On the Road" wirtten by Louis Menand I felt a lost and confused, wasn't too sure of where he was going with it. Maybe reading the book would give me a better understaning for the writing? It seemed as though he would get off topic and start giving details that would send him off on tangents. However his writing did encourage me to read the book and see what it is like for myself.