Disburden Posted July 3, 2010 Posted July 3, 2010 I know he's a weird writer, but I consider him a master of the imagination and prose power. I was just finishing up Exterminator! which is a collection of short stories collage put together to make a cut-up novel. The stories inside range of utter prose chaos to humorous stories about powerful government officials and their greed to rule the US. I actually really enjoyed this book as the chaotic cut up technique wasn't as overpowering as later novels. I would recommend it to any Burroughs fan. It'd be nice to hear from some other William Burroughs fans. Anyone else able to stomach The Wild Boys or Naked Lunch?!
sloth Posted July 3, 2010 Posted July 3, 2010 Haven't read any Burroughs, but I did watch David Cronenberg's adaptation of Naked Lunch...
Disburden Posted July 3, 2010 Author Posted July 3, 2010 Haven't read any Burroughs, but I did watch David Cronenberg's adaptation of Naked Lunch... If you check out the book make sure to note that the book is nothing like the movie, although I did like the movie. The movie is more about Burroughs as a writer than what the book is about....which I can't even describe to you!
sloth Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 If you check out the book make sure to note that the book is nothing like the movie, although I did like the movie. The movie is more about Burroughs as a writer than what the book is about....which I can't even describe to you! I remember someone mentioning the book read as if someone played 52-card pick up with the manuscript.
Disburden Posted July 4, 2010 Author Posted July 4, 2010 B I remember someone mentioning the book read as if someone played 52-card pick up with the manuscript. Burroughs used a cut up technique where he would cut manuscripts in four or more equal pieces and then put them randomly together making new words, stories, and ideas through a collage type of method. This a long with snippets of old letters and stories are what makes up most of his writing during this period. He thought writing was 50 years behind painting as an art form so this experimenting lead to a new technique for writers.
cigcars Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 I know he's a weird writer, but I consider him a master of the imagination and prose power. I was just finishing up Exterminator! which is a collection of short stories collage put together to make a cut-up novel. The stories inside range of utter prose chaos to humorous stories about powerful government officials and their greed to rule the US. I actually really enjoyed this book as the chaotic cut up technique wasn't as overpowering as later novels. I would recommend it to any Burroughs fan. It'd be nice to hear from some other William Burroughs fans. Anyone else able to stomach The Wild Boys or Naked Lunch?! ***All I know about Burroughs (and I saw Cronenberg's adaptation of Naked Lunch) is that he killed his wife while high on heroin or some drug. And didn't do any jail time. I just had that attitude toward him because I learned about him during the time when EVERYBODY just accused was being sentenced to ridiculously long prison terms behind this ****. And HE gets books and movies and glorification about his drug induced novels. Sorry, but I'm not a fan
Disburden Posted July 4, 2010 Author Posted July 4, 2010 I can see where you're coming from, my brother was murdered in the streets by some guy with a knife when he was 14. I don't take those kind of crimes lightly either. A lot of artists and people in history get away with more than perhaps they should, especially people in power.
mazolaman Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 Yep, the Naked Lunch is an odd one. I preffered Junky,as it is well written,but is extremely bleak and truthfull about Heroin(and other things)addiction,and the descriptions of being a junky when the wider world had no concept of the underground scene.
cigcars Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 I can see where you're coming from, my brother was murdered in the streets by some guy with a knife when he was 14. I don't take those kind of crimes lightly either. A lot of artists and people in history get away with more than perhaps they should, especially people in power. Whoa, I'm sorry to hear about that happening to your brother. And I appreciate your understanding response to my views. Yes, you are very right. In one of my posts on the Shout Box I talked about my previous job in Georgia in what you could call "security" professions. There would be rich fat cats my fellow workers knew were engaging in illegal drug induced possessions of, etc., and they talked about how much they BEGGED their supervisors to let them go in and make a bust. And each & every time they were meekly & sheepishly told, "no no.." and couldn't do it. That's why my view is, look, just LEGALIZE the ****! (pardon my french). Or at least decriminalize it, so we can quit putting all these harmless people away for ridiculously long periods of time over some stuff no more deadly than alcohol, cigarettes, and PRESCRIPTION drugs!!! It's like Bill Maher said, "These naturally occuring drugs are illegal because they don't say Eli Lily, Squibb, and Merck on them."
Disburden Posted July 4, 2010 Author Posted July 4, 2010 Whoa, I'm sorry to hear about that happening to your brother. And I appreciate your understanding response to my views. Yes, you are very right. In one of my posts on the Shout Box I talked about my previous job in Georgia in what you could call "security" professions. There would be rich fat cats my fellow workers knew were engaging in illegal drug induced possessions of, etc., and they talked about how much they BEGGED their supervisors to let them go in and make a bust. And each & every time they were meekly & sheepishly told, "no no.." and couldn't do it. That's why my view is, look, just LEGALIZE the ****! (pardon my french). Or at least decriminalize it, so we can quit putting all these harmless people away for ridiculously long periods of time over some stuff no more deadly than alcohol, cigarettes, and PRESCRIPTION drugs!!! It's like Bill Maher said, "These naturally occuring drugs are illegal because they don't say Eli Lily, Squibb, and Merck on them." We completely agree on this, which is cool, I know people that are way addicted to pain killers and don't even realize it. I don't see how one thing is considered evil, isn't taxed but is consumed still and supports drug lords meanwhile we can sell cigarettes and make them 11.00 a pack in NY tfrom taxes.
CoryOllis Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 Burroughs might have made Guinness as most subversive but it was a time of stretching limits for the USA and he was part of that history. He's got some good quotes, too! “Most of the trouble in this world has been caused by folks who can't mind their own business, because they have no business of their own to mind, any more than a smallpox virus has.†“Be just and if you can't be just, be arbitrary.â€
docbp87 Posted May 8, 2011 Posted May 8, 2011 Huge fan. Junky, Naked Lunch, and Cities of the Red Night are all among my favorite books.
leftimatic Posted August 13, 2014 Posted August 13, 2014 Yep, the Naked Lunch is an odd one. I preffered Junky,as it is well written,but is extremely bleak and truthfull about Heroin(and other things)addiction,and the descriptions of being a junky when the wider world had no concept of the underground scene. Junky was a very good book. When I hear William Burroughs I think of that book. Read it probably twenty years ago and still sticks in my head. Your right very truthful. Knew a few friends that went down that path not pretty. On the topic how about Hunter S Thompson.
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