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William S. Burroughs

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited July 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
Anyone a fan?

I have only read Ghost of a Chance. Couldnt have been more than 150 pages. By the end I was crying, and it really shook me up. I felt sick.

Of course he has more famous novels like Junky, or the Ticket that Exploded or Naked Lunch
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Comments

  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    'The Western Lands' is my favourite Burroughs book. You should check it out.

    In the meantime this is a good documentary...

    http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3432164/William.S.Burroughs.Commissioner.of.Sewers.1991.DVDRip.XviD-NeWB
  • SwanSwan Posts: 350
    i've only read junky and naked lunch, very good stuff. i've never heard of ghost of a chance though.
    I'm the only Hell Mama ever raised.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    Swan wrote:
    i've only read junky and naked lunch, very good stuff. i've never heard of ghost of a chance though.

    It's about the extinction of the lemurs in Madagascar. Strange little book.
  • El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    'my education' is a good book, too.

    somewhat related he has a small role in 'drugstore cowboy' and an even smaller one in 'even cowgirls get the blues'
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Only read Naked Lunch. Thought it was largely sensationalist trash, albeit entertaining trash. I'm a big fan of the beats, or at least the ones that were genuinely talented writers, rather than just a bunch of zoned out, benzedrine-popping teenage boy chasers. Burroughs was definitely a talented writer and I'm sure he has stuff I'll enjoy, Naked Lunch just wasn't it for me.

    On the other hand, the additional writings in my copy, on subjects such as drug use (he outlines the effects, pros and cons of and methods of withdrawal from every drug he had ever taken), I found fascinating and really well written. Naked Lunch was far too, and I know intentionally, disjointed and seemed to shock rather than engage when it should have tried to do both. I kind of got bored of all the graphic descriptions of aliens raping young boys :o
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • Tek MoneyTek Money Posts: 642
    I read a book by William S. Burroughs called 'Interzone', and apparently it is a first draft (kinda) of 'Naked Lunch'. Anyways, it was an amazing book. He really has a way of writing that kept me interested. It reminds me of 'Beautiful Losers' or something.
    Cock Fight.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Only read Naked Lunch. Thought it was largely sensationalist trash, albeit entertaining trash. I'm a big fan of the beats, or at least the ones that were genuinely talented writers, rather than just a bunch of zoned out, benzedrine-popping teenage boy chasers. Burroughs was definitely a talented writer and I'm sure he has stuff I'll enjoy, Naked Lunch just wasn't it for me.

    On the other hand, the additional writings in my copy, on subjects such as drug use (he outlines the effects, pros and cons of and methods of withdrawal from every drug he had ever taken), I found fascinating and really well written. Naked Lunch was far too, and I know intentionally, disjointed and seemed to shock rather than engage when it should have tried to do both. I kind of got bored of all the graphic descriptions of aliens raping young boys :o

    The Western Lands is a more sober book. Really fucking amazing actually. It's not the easiest read but I'd recomend it to anyone.

    The only thing I could compare it to would be Jean Genet's 'Prisoner Of Love'.
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