Junky: Amazon.co.uk: William S. Burroughs: Books

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This quasi-autobiographical novel gives an account of hallucinations, ghostly nocturnal wanderings, sexual encounters and quests to ease the hunger for heroin.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
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4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique & Compelling, 3 May 2002

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Junky (Essential Penguin) (Paperback)

Burroughs’ writing here is a unique and successful blend of autobiography and detached journalism, unprecedented for that time. The prologue gives Junky an air of authenticity from the outset as the author briefly describes his childhood before plunging into this narrative of a journey – teeming with colorful low-life characters - from the Midwest to New York to Texas to New Orleans, a farm in the Rio Grande Valley, & finally Mexico in his relentless pursuit of the heroin trip.
There is a certain aloofness in the style, giving the reader the impression that you’re only witness to a restricted part of the protagonist’s experiences. For example, the text makes vague references to his wife who obviously journeyed and indulged with him, but no more is told of her, poor Joan. Although “Queer’, which is a more rounded novel, filled in many pieces of the jigsaw, it was only upon reading Ellis Ambrose’s “The Subterranean Kerouac,” that this novel finally made sense and I began to see a fuller picture of Burroughs, his wife and their contemporaries. Anyway, this is a piece of brilliant writing on many levels. The book concludes with a glossary of “junk lingo” or “jive talk” – so that’s what the BeeGees were singing about?

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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An accurate and honest portrayal of heroin addiction, 23 Aug 2003

By	"dolphina25" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Junky (Essential Penguin) (Paperback)

Having personally experienced heroin addiction, I was intrigued and keen to read Junky and I wasn't disappointed. Although Junky was published in the 1950s, it's excellent depiction of drug addiction and the associated lifestyle hasn't aged in the slightest (although disposable needles and syringes - 'works' - have replaced eyedroppers).

What I particularly liked about Junky, is that Burroughs isn't remotely self-pitying, even when he describes 'taking the cure' in a hospital and going through bouts of 'junk sickness'. Burroughs also manages to keep the reader completely focused on the book, with eager anticipation about what's going to happen next. Although Junky isn't a particularly long book (it only took a few days to read) it's like a slow-release euphoric experience from beginning to end!

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic of the early Beats, 6 April 2002

By	J. Evans "dequincey" (Cardiff, Wales) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Junky (Essential Penguin) (Paperback)

Junky is William Burroughs's first novel, and one of his most important....Don't let the first person narrative fool you, this is not an autobiography in any usual sense. Burroughs himself described it as a 'travel book.'
Unlike the cut-up novels this novel easily engages the reader. There is a narrative, even if there is no narrative development towards a repentant self realsation that would be expected in a confessional novel.
If you have read On the Road then you'll appreciate Junky.
If you have read Naked Lunch then this might come as something of a surprise. But don't berate the book for that. It might not deconstruct a logical narrative development. Or for that matter it doesn't deconstruct the liberal humanist individual. But it does reveal Burroughs the genius....
If you are familiar with Burroughs allready then Junky is well worth buying.
And if you aren't... buy this book. You'll never look at eye droppers the same way after reading this.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Beat Novel
This is an essential novel to read if, like me, you're in to the writers of the beat generation. It is the first Burroughs novel I have read but it won't be the last. Read more

Published 3 months ago by I. M. Knight

3.0 out of 5 stars More Than Journalism, Less Than Ethnography
It is often said that 'Junky' was revolutionary when it was first published in the early 1950s. As a confessional account of heroin addiction that did not shy from ugly truths, it... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Pablo K

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful&Brutally Honest ;Beautifully Wrote
Whether you have any interest in addiction, or you just wanna good read, put this in your "Works". Unlike so much of Burroughs,this is an easily read,straight-forward &... Read more

Published on 1 May 2007 by Dr Benway

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent edition.
Will Self's introduction is an excellent essay. Whilst I do not agree with sections of it, his contextualising of the novel as an existentialist text is a very interesting take on... Read more

Published on 9 Mar 2002 by Martin Brown - martinpilchard@...

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw
A raw and unforgiving portrayal of 40's America. Stark and vivid, it shows culture not as the Uncle Sam patriots, but as junkys, bums, thieves, and queers. Read more

Published on 6 April 2001 by Thomas J. Green

4.0 out of 5 stars Queasy semi-autobiography of legendary literary drug fiend
Burrough's account of life as a heroin user really comes to life in spoken word form, as the author's reptilian diction wrings every last drop of croaked and strung-out junk... Read more

Published on 22 Nov 2000 by t.welch@virgin.net

5.0 out of 5 stars Cutting edge
Do you remember the way in which "Trainspotting" was greeted a little while back? Can you imagine the effect that this book would have had when it was published... Read more

Published on 12 Jan 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars You cats dig?
Welcome to the sordid underground world of the 1940's drug addict where the only matter of importance to its inhabitants is the quest for opium, morphine, heroin, dilaudid,... Read more

Published on 26 Sep 1999 by goober.ian@talk21.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Deep, dark, disturbing ... all that one should expect ...
Initial book of Burroughs' career, charting the deadly drive through drugs: heroin hallucinations; pot pyschology; lonliness; madness; pederasty; bi-sexuality; investigations... Read more

Published on 20 Sep 1999 by thesarahs@yahoo.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent description of the tawdry life of an addict
This is probably the easiest work written by Burroughs, and is integral to completely understand the remainder of his work. Read more

Published on 16 Jan 1999

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	73% buy the item featured on this page: Junky 4.5 out of 5 stars (13)
	13% buy Naked Lunch: The Restored Text (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) 3.8 out of 5 stars (27) �5.49
	7% buy On the Road (Penguin Modern Classics) 4.2 out of 5 stars (32) �5.08
	4% buy On the Road 3.5 out of 5 stars (54) �6.99


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