A review by gilbertka
Exterminator! by William S. Burroughs

4.0

The Exterminator (not to be confused with the short story collection Exterminator!) is an experimental and rather short book created in partnership with Brion Gysin. It is a fairly rare book, which is why many of the reviews here don’t apply to this book, but rather “Exterminator!” (It’s an easy mistake!). There is a lot of nonsensical writing in here, but I enjoyed reading it. There were several moments during my reading where a phrase would stick out to me. It is important to note that the cut up method Burroughs often used is a big aspect of this book, and therefore I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who doesn’t know Burroughs style, start with something else first! If you know Burroughs you will quickly recognize the style and voice of this work. There is a lot going on here but upon first reading the themes that stuck out to me the most were viruses, drug use/addiction, and sex. If you ever run across this book, check it out, at times it even comes across as a bit prophetic, or too on the nose. Overall, interesting but complex read with lots to unpack.

4/5