Naked Lunch is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century. Exerting its influence on authors like Thomas Pynchon, J. G. Ballard, and William Gibson; on the relationship between art and obscenity; and on the shape of music, film, and media generally, it is one of the books that redefined not just literature but American culture.
Naked Lunch is the unnerving tale of Bill Lee, addicted to hustlers and narcotics, and his monumental descent into Hell. His journey takes him from New York to Tangiers, as he runs from the police and searches for a place to buy and take drugs. Ultimately, he enters the hallucinatory fantasy world of the “Interzone,” a nightmarish urban wasteland where individual freedom confronts the forces of totalitarianism.
Reedited by Burroughs scholar Barry Miles and Burroughs’ longtime editor James Grauerholz, Naked Lunch: The Restored Text corrects errors present in previous editions and incorporates Burroughs’ notes on the text, several essays he wrote about the book, an appendix of new material, and alternate drafts from the original manuscript. For the Burroughs enthusiast and the neophyte, this volume is a valuable and fresh experience of this classic of our culture.
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"Thorough exploration of the internal chaos in a troubled soul, diverse and troubling but honestly abrupt in an awareness of the contemporary world, a life stew with the recipe detailing all the angst, mistakes and psychotic breaks of turmoil in a desperate search for understanding and personal acceptance, though the stew when served has a bitter and nauseous taste which many have discovered is difficult to swallow. This art is a perfect example of how difficult it is to understand each other’s internal lives and how we experience others, it is everyone’s right to view their opinions, though they are legitimate it somehow clarifies how deep into the hidden world of our lives most want to shy away from, to close their minds or have not ridden the rollercoaster deep into the oubliette of their own psyches as yet to be able to comprehend the story that is presented before them in the naked lunch. It may leave a bad taste, but it’s naked reality in a poetic fantasy of self survival and why it’s important we are here for each other and most of all, if you close your mind to this book and discard it as violent, or just about drugs, self indulgent or crazy, then it’s a sign you are lucky enough to either have avoided the impact the dark reality of this world has on offer or one has closed their minds from is there and in so doing leaves one vulnerable to the dark reality the day it comes calling.I am thankful I have not led the life of William S Burroughs though I can appreciate the journey, I read this book along with authors Gibson and Ballard as a teenager and found them extraordinary. The journey of artists who test the boundaries to understand our souls and relationships, the world and how we manifest our reality into it. I later became a firefighter and Ballards book ‘Crash’ was a struggle due to the dark and gruesome reality I lived that most don’t see, I came away from those years thankful for having been a firefighter and contributed to our communities though with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the close proximity to the suffering and ultra reality that is existing daily just out of sight, away from the self satisfying corporate, self indulgent shopping lifestyle, the I want it now syndrome and character is being eroded from our children in greater depth each generation. Such books as these aided my character and intellect with the burden of that horror and allowed me a deeper understanding even more after the fire and rescue service on the many rereads. We all find a way to expose the reality we ignore by smearing this money, privilege and television led reality to hide from the truth, we should step up and acknowledge it so we can make changes and not hide from the difficult to digest. Blessings to you all and be safe. "
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Mark (5 out of 5 stars)