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Naked Lunch

The Restored Text
By William S. Burroughs
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs is a non-linear narrative that delves into the world of addiction and the surreal experiences of its protagonist, William Lee, as he struggles through a chaotic landscape of hallucinatory adventures. The book presents a series of vignettes, capturing the raw and unfiltered aspects of drug culture and exploring themes of control and societal repression with a darkly satirical edge. This novel is known for its fragmented style and vivid imagery, challenging traditional storytelling conventions.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to experimental narratives and avant-garde literature that defies conventional storytelling. Its provocative and non-linear structure offers a surreal, visceral journey through the chaotic underworld of addiction and control. Fans of Beat Generation literature and those intrigued by countercultural themes may find its bold, unfiltered style particularly captivating.

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Naked Lunch

Presents a surreal novel. It is based on orgiastic wasteland of drugs, depravity, political plots, paranoia, sadistic medical experiments and endless, gnawing addiction. It also features authors notes on the text and alternate drafts.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

At long last, William S. Burroughs's cult classic and undoubted masterpiece enters Penguin Modern Classics.

A cultural landmark and the most shocking novel in the English language, Naked Lunch is an exhilarating ride into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. An unnerving tale of an addict unmoored in New York, Tangier, and ultimately a nightmarish wasteland known as Interzone, Naked Lunch's formal innovation, formerly taboo subject matter, and tour de force execution have exerted its influence on authors like Thomas Pynchon and J. G. Ballard; on the relationship of art and obscenity; and on the shape of music, film, and media in general.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Naked Lunch is often regarded as a groundbreaking and controversial piece of literature. Reviews highlight its fragmented narrative style and surreal, hallucinatory content. The book's exploration of taboo subjects and its critique of society have drawn both praise and criticism, cementing its status as a significant, if polarising, work in the literary canon.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141189765

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 January 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 199.0mm

Weight: 224g

Pages: 304

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Featured Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics William S. Burroughs

About the Author

William S. Burroughs was born in 1914 in St Louis. In work and in life Burroughs expressed a lifelong subversion of the morality, politics and economics of modern America. To escape those conditions, and in particular his treatment as a homosexual and a drug-user, Burroughs left his homeland in 1950, eventually living in Mexico City, Tangier, Paris and London. By the time of his death he was widely recognised as one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the twentieth century. His numerous books include Naked Lunch, Junky, Queer, Nova Express, Interzone, The Wild Boys, The Ticket That Exploded and The Soft Machine.

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