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/lit/ - Literature

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3346147 No.3346147 [Reply] [Original]

I've had a growing interest in William S. Burroughs lately and I was just wondering what you would consider his most important works.
I've just read Junky and it was enjoyable but I'm aware it's one of his most straight forward books.

>> No.3346180

Don't read Cities of the Red Night. It's about gay pirates and a gay professor that has gay sex with his gay servant on a regular basis, in vivid gay detail.

>> No.3346186

>>3346180
Read Cities of the Red Night. It is about gay sex and GRIDS and time travel and sexy hanging threesomes and pirate cowboy spacemen revolutionaries.

Also people ejaculating in each others eyes and heroin being the only way to cure AIDS.

>> No.3346189

>>3346180
I think might actually be what I'm looking for. I was slightly disappointed by Junky when Burroughs skipped what happened with the boy he met in a Mexican gay club.

>> No.3346382
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3346382

>>3346147

Naked Lunch was fascinating. Both horrifying and amazing. Exterminator! Is also really good.

>> No.3347018

>>3346382
This. Dive straight in to Naked Lunch. I think Red Night is part of a trilogy.

>> No.3347055

I enjoyed Junkie, but I had to put Naked Lunch away.
Just too tedious.
But I don't like books with confusing plots anyway.
>inb4 too deep for me

>> No.3347726

>>3347055

>implying any of Burroughs' masterpieces have tangible plots.

>> No.3347736

>>3347055
You aren't supposed to be reading Burroughs for the plot in the first place.

Actually I think I could safely say that for all avant-gard literature.

>> No.3347743

>>3346147
I know it's the height of lame to say this but I can't into Burroughs because he shot his wife in the head like an idiot.

>> No.3347747

>>3347743
He was drunk though...

I never understood how people can't read an author's work due to the way they lived their lives. It isn't like Burroughs went around gloating about it. He was haunted by that for the rest of his life.

>> No.3347753

>>3347747
I know, I acknowledged that it is lame for me to hold this against him.
I generally don't do this with any other authors.
I've read most of his work. He has a great speaking voice, too. I don't dislike his work, but I did read it when I was much younger (high school/early college) and I think it appeals to that audience. (edgy, drugs, etc.)

>> No.3347755

The Job.

Ain't nothing better than that uncut willy. Actually that's the only one I've read besides Wild Boys. But still, it's a pretty amazing book.

>> No.3348637

>>3347743

I know it's the height of lame to say this but I could only get into Burroughs because he shot his wife in the head like a boss.

>> No.3348670

>>3347753
>I think it appeals to that audience. (edgy, drugs, etc.)
I don't that is true at all. Burroughs himself was an older gentleman when he was writing most of his novels. I don't think his novels are really for the younger generation at all. Though many teenagers are gravitated to drugs in literature, Naked Lunch and his other cut-up novels are much more than simple drug use, it is a experiment with language and a examination of power.
And to say that all Burroughs writes about is just drugs it is just plain wrong.

>> No.3348717

>>3348637
I'd advise anyone who is married to do the same.

>> No.3348772

Watch this OP. It's a short animation by Coppola on Burroughs' Junky Christmas

http://vimeo.com/18230971

>> No.3348796

>>3346147
I haven't read it yet but I've heard good things about The Places Of Dead Roads

>> No.3348820
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3348820

I've all his works except "Queer." He has limited talent and he knew it so he was constantly experimenting. His books are difficult, boring, fascinating, profane and profound. Plenty of gay stuff that I usually skim over.

Place of Dead Roads is good. Watch his use of language, i.e. he's always coining new words.

Plus, he shot his wife in the head like a boss.

>> No.3348918

>>3348820
>Plus, he shot his wife in the head like a boss.
Then hid in Morocco like a little bitch.

>> No.3348940

>>3348918
>Plus, he shot his wife in the head like a boss.
>Then hid in Morocco like a little bitch.
And fucked dozens of little boys while shooting a shitload of Opiates.

>> No.3348944

>>3348940
Fucking little boys cancels out the boss points gained from doing opiates.

>> No.3348978

>>3348944
Morals are relative and arbitrary.

>> No.3348982

>>3348978
Who's talking about morality? Fucking little boys in the ass just brings him down to priest tier.

>> No.3348988

>>3348944

i like that he fucks little boys. it shows character.

>> No.3349273

>>3348988
"i like that he fucks little boys. it shows character."
-/lit/

>> No.3349289

>>3348820
>Plenty of gay stuff that I usually skim over

Man, I wish I could skim over all the straight shit I encounter in life, but there's just too much of it.

>> No.3349291

>>3349289
Perhaps that's, I dunno, because it's Normal.

>> No.3349308

>>3349291

It doesn't make it any less disgusting for a gay person.

>> No.3349316

>>3349308
and I'm sure reading about normal adults having sex is just as disgusting for a paedophile.

>> No.3350280

>>3349316
I wrote a paper on homosexuality being no different from paedophilia from the perspective of neurological defects and a biological imperative. My teacher hated it though, despite my supporting evidence. I now believe he likes smoking cocks.

>> No.3350954

>>3350280
Post it.

>> No.3350960

>>3347743
that's odd. i like reading Burroughs because he shot his wife in the head.

>> No.3350964
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3350964

"When I was a boy in Chicago I attended the Sunday School of a neighborhood Presbyterian church. I recall our Wednesday-night meetings with the simplest nostalgia. We would meet in the basement. There would be a short prayer and a shorter benediction. And we would turn out all the lights and in total darkness hit each other with chairs."
- Burroughs

>> No.3350966

>>3347055
I read half of it, moved onto other things now, I'll pick it up again eventually

thought it was pretty funny though

>> No.3350971

>>3348982
Bonus: Burroughs did a spoken word with Cobain about a priest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_%22Priest%22_They_Called_Him

>> No.3350972

>>3350964
This is how you teach little boys about God and shit.