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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
Intensely vivid and preternaturally obscene and obscure episodes of eroticism, unrestrained narcotics consumption, scattered elements of science fiction, and acts that stretch to the very fringes of what can and should be done with a human body - this book will leave your jaw on the floor for its duration, not only in terms of the batshit crazy things on display, but also the impressive way in which they're written and constructed. Politics, authority, and our commonly accepted societal structure are all under the microscope and heavily critiqued within this novel, and the additional notes and essays included in this edition really shine a light on the thoughts (and substances) that formed Naked Lunch, and the intentions of its author.
Surreal, grotesque, hallucinatory, inventive, and honest; a story with no clear structure but rather a collection of scenes that will shock, nauseate, and occasionally have you on the floor laughing.
Unique and creatively limitless, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
*As a huge Cronenberg fan I have seen the film, but not in many years. Time for a revisit.*
Surreal, grotesque, hallucinatory, inventive, and honest; a story with no clear structure but rather a collection of scenes that will shock, nauseate, and occasionally have you on the floor laughing.
Unique and creatively limitless, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
*As a huge Cronenberg fan I have seen the film, but not in many years. Time for a revisit.*
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Didn't understand most of it, rather wish I hadn't understood that which I did. Did laugh a couple of times.
Alot of the book was horribly disgusting. I really thought I was going to be sick on several occasions. He has an interesting style and some of the book was funny.
to me, probably the pinnacle of the beat generation. Burroughs, a lifelong piece of living shit, largely wrote this in Tangier, on a full-time heroin bender after killing his wife in Mexico. Naked Lunch is one of the few books that I consider a chore to read through, in the most positive way possible. the narrative initially presented is dense and purposely obfuscated; a reader has to dig in and unravel every little bit, sentence by sentence. eventually, this goes out the window alongside the narrative. there is no true semblance of plot after a certain point, with temporal, spatial, and established relation taking a back seat to some truly addled writing. attempting to pick apart every single sentence becomes a fool's errand; you are to strap in for the ride, and simply continue reading, fully absorbed in confusion. amongst the confusion are characters that are absolutely disgusting, acts that are similarly atrocious, and institutions evocative of Trainspotting's bathroom scene. there is very, very little beauty in this book - the stark imagery present in Junkie is traded completely for vile characterizations of addicts, prostitutes, and dealers. no character is attractive: they are riddled with holes, tend to be oozing out of some orifice, and are often hungrily, noisily looking for their next fix.
nestled firmly within this cast of characters is william lee, or Burroughs "alter ego". he goes through, what i can only imagine, are the machinations of Burroughs' mind while ruined on heroin. the definition of unreliable narrator, Lee leaps through time and space, jumping from blood covered orgies to decrepit operating rooms to the politically fueled "Interzone" with no transitions; he is simply there. there are thematic references to totalitarian governments, obviously pointed at the government that repressed Burroughs' heroin addiction, leading him to trot the globe in search of dope. there are also a nearly innumerable amount of allusions to cocks, cum, and various different types of penetration. and, oddly - it is a unique, extremely enjoyable experience. naked lunch prides itself on kaleidoscoping in on itself time and time again, making the reader uncomfortable, confused, and excited. reading naked lunch is in every definition of the word a journey, and it is one that can be deeply, deeply moving and enjoyable if preconceived notions of what literature should be are left at the door.
nestled firmly within this cast of characters is william lee, or Burroughs "alter ego". he goes through, what i can only imagine, are the machinations of Burroughs' mind while ruined on heroin. the definition of unreliable narrator, Lee leaps through time and space, jumping from blood covered orgies to decrepit operating rooms to the politically fueled "Interzone" with no transitions; he is simply there. there are thematic references to totalitarian governments, obviously pointed at the government that repressed Burroughs' heroin addiction, leading him to trot the globe in search of dope. there are also a nearly innumerable amount of allusions to cocks, cum, and various different types of penetration. and, oddly - it is a unique, extremely enjoyable experience. naked lunch prides itself on kaleidoscoping in on itself time and time again, making the reader uncomfortable, confused, and excited. reading naked lunch is in every definition of the word a journey, and it is one that can be deeply, deeply moving and enjoyable if preconceived notions of what literature should be are left at the door.
Way, way too much graphic sexual violence. It was incredibly disturbing.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was tough to read. At first, I loved the writing style. It felt very immersive and interesting. But after about 30 pages, it went downhill from there.