"on the road" was published in 1957, and it made both kerouac and cassady famous. it did not do much to help their personal lives, however. both men suffered from public overexposure, as the book became a best-seller. a mistake on the book's jacket made readers think that both men were much younger than they were. their adventures in the book had happened years earlier, but many people thought they were recent. some readers wanted to travel with them, or invite them to wild parties, or have sexual intercourse with them. cassady enjoyed the attention for awhile, but it took its toll on him personally. fame did not help his second marriage, to carolyn robinson, or the family they had together. kerouac himself hated all the attention he got, and spent most of his time at home with his mother, working on new books, or drinking alcohol. in time, he became an alcoholic, and it ruined his health.