About this title: 'Junk is not, like alcohol or a weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life.' In this complete and unexpurgated edition of Burroughs' famous book, he depicts the addict's life: his hallucinations, his ghostly noctural wanderings, his strange sexuality and his hunger for the needle. "Junky" remains one of the most accurate and mesmerising account of addiction ever written.
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Description: Good. 1977-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140043518ISBN:0140043519
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. 158 p. 1984 paperback edition from Penguin (UK). GOOD only, well-worn, sticker-pull to back cover. read more
Description: Good. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. xvi, 158 pp.; 20 cm. First published, 1953. Good+. Firm binding, clean inside copy. Light edgewear. Age toning. "Before his 1959 breakthrough, Naked Lunch, an unknown William S. Burroughs wrote Junk, his first book, a candid, eyewitness account of times and places that are now long gone. This book brings them vividly to life again; it is an unvarnished field report from the American postwar underground. / William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)--guru of the Beat Generation ... read more
Description: NY: Viking Penguin, 1987. Trade paperback. Introduction by Allen Ginsberg. Very Good-. Front cover has paint overspray, front cover creased. Light corner wear at the spine ends. Pages are clean, age-tanned at the edges, a solid reading copy with no markings. ISBN: 0140043519 A legendary account of heroin addiction, the first complete and unexpurgated edition, originally published as 'Junkie' under the pen name of William Lee. read more
Edition: New ed. / with an introduction by Will Self.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin, London
Date Published: 2002
ISBN-13:9780141187006ISBN:014118700X
Description: Good. 176p. ; 20 cm. Penguin classics.. Previous ed.: as Junk as by William Lee. New York: Ace, 1953; Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1977. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780140282696ISBN:0140282696
Description: Good. * BOOKS DISPATCHED WITHIN 24 HOURS * SATISFACTION GUARANTEED * ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED PROMPTLY * SHIPPED FROM UK * USA DELIVERY IN 3-5 DAYS * SHIPPED FROM UK: USA & EUROPE SPECIALISTS DELIVERY IN 3-5 DAYS. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780140282696ISBN:0140282696
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780140282696ISBN:0140282696
Description: Acceptable. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Description: G. As issued no dj. Trade paperback. 8vo. Sturdy copy. Interior clean. Signed by Burroughs on title page. No owner name. Exterior worn. Slightly curled front cover. Stands up alone, unsupported. In crystal clear archival mylar. Booksellers since 1976. read more
"Fairly interesting autobiography of William Burroughs. I must say that when Burroughs is not under the effect of psychoactive substances, his writing is decent, legible, slightly without character, and a little boring.
This book is Burroughs without being Burroughs. It's the decaff to his usual Colombian black coffee; the decaffeinated and zero calorie diet version of his Cherry Cola self.
On the bright side, this is a very good introduction to his Master Opus: "Naked Lunch." It makes the ramblings of a madman into a some what more legible psychosis. In this book he goes over the drug jargon and a general rundown of the world of drugs in great detail. This work would be your introduction to his true work, its the demarcation of the boundaries and land marks of the cold and dreary pool that is his mind; so as to not feel that much of a chill when you hit the bottom; so you don't have trouble going off the deep end.
If you didn't understand my ramblings I mean: Read Junky first! Then read Naked Lunch after!!"
"This book is an exhausting chronicle of the plight of William Lee, a heroin addict. To probably a large extent, this book is autobiographical. It gives an honest insight into the drug culture of the 1940s. It's a little hard to get through because of all the (dated) slang that is/was very specific to drug addicts. Luckily, this edition provides a glossary and a thorough introduction.
This first-person narrative recounts the day-to-day experiences and challenges involved in finding the means and the money to get heroin. William Lee is transient and meets a lot of shady characters, none of whom seem to stay in his life for very long and are mostly interchangeable. He deals, he uses, he goes to prison, he moves, he quits, he relapses - not necessarily in that order. To paraphrase, he says that the "kick" of heroin is the wanting and that you become a junky by "default," to fill a void.
According to the prologue, William Lee (like the author) is from a prominent family and went to an Ivy League school. But in the main text, there are only a couple of short references to his privileged background (other than the fact that he uses words like "inveterate" and "sepulchral"). His entire identity has been subsumed by junk - wanting it, getting it, using it, and avoiding the repercussions.
I wouldn't say that this is necessarily an enjoyable read, but I can appreciate its candor and that it was probably ahead of its time."
"I got this book from my sister. She said it was good so I tried reading it. Its about drugs and the protagonist's life. His life involves drug dealing and everything to do with drugs. This includes taking drugs himself and even talking about what drugs actually does to him. This book is pretty interesting and to the point. The author of this book is a drug addict and is expressing his emotions about drugs through the book. That way, readers can feel the way he feels and get to know how it really feels to be a drug addict. By reading this book, it gives me more the reason not to be a drug addict. But at the same time, it was a good read and I recommend it to anyone and especially to those who wish to learn about drugs."
"A semi-autobiographical account of a period of Burroughs' life. In it he delivers a candid picture of the life of junkies.
What I enjoyed most was the opportunity of being given a view into this world: the cravings, the shady characters, the lingo, the copper jitters, the unendurable jailings, the seeming uselessness of kicking the habit, the realization that for addicts life *is* junk -- a real education.
As to the writing, it is straightforward and can be insightful at times. Don't look for character development here because the main character is junk itself and its hold on the junkie. In fact, I'm not rating this book higher because I found it too impersonal -- you don't really ever care about any of the characters. The subject matter and its related stories make the story interesting but not captivating. That said, it is worth the read.
An excerpt: " Some people you can spot as far as you can see; others you can't be sure of until you are close enough to touch them. Junkies are mostly in sharp focus. There had been a time when my blood pressure rose at the sight of Old Ike. When you are on the junk, the pusher is like the loved one to the lover. You wait for his special step in the hall, his special knock, you scan the approaching faces in the city street. You can hallucinate every detail of his appearance as though he were standing there in the doorway, going into the old pusher joke: "Sorry to disappoint you, but I couldn't score." Watching the play of hope and anxiety on the other's face, savoring the feel of benevolent power, the power to give or withhold. Pat in New Orleans always pulled that routine. Bill Gains in New York. Old Ike would swear he didn't have anything, then slip the paper in my pocket and say, "Look, you had some all the time."""
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