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Junky

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( 70,363 ratings, 2,974 reviews)
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
Junky by William S. Burroughs offers a gritty, semi-autobiographical journey through the life of a drug addict in the mid-20th century. The narrative delves into the seedy underworld of New York City and New Orleans, exploring themes of addiction, survival, and the struggle for identity amidst chaos. It's a raw and unflinching look at the impact of drugs on an individual's life and society.
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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 intrigued by gritty, raw depictions of the counterculture and are interested in exploring the complex themes of addiction. With its candid writing style, it offers a compelling glimpse into mid-20th-century urban American life from a unique perspective.

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Relates the addict's life: from initial heroin bliss to an unabated hunger for the needle, and the horrors of cold turkey and back again.

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

New edition of the Penguin Essential of the most mesmerising account of heroin addiction ever written.

Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life.

William Burroughs, legendary drug addict, founder member of the Beats and author of Naked Lunch, relates with unflinching realism the addict's lifeβ€”from initial heroin bliss to an unabated hunger for the needle, and the horrors of cold turkey and back again.

Series: Penguin Essentials

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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?

Junky by William S. Burroughs is described as having a timeless quality, appearing as fresh and unvarnished today as it did when first released. Reviews highlight its enduring vitality and visceral nature, reflecting its persistent impact and relevance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241956786

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 April 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 112.0mm

Height: 181.0mm

Weight: 87g

Pages: 144

About the Author

William S. Burroughs was born on February 5, 1914 in St Louis. Despite graduating from Harvard in 1936 with a degree in English Literature, Burroughs spent a number of his early years working in a variety of often unpleasant positions, including those of cockroach exterminator, factory worker and advertising copywriter. In work and in life he expressed a constant subversion of the morality, politics and economics of modern America. To escape these, and in particular his treatment as a homosexual and a drug-user, Burroughs left the US in 1950, and soon after began writing. 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, and The Wild Boys. After living in Mexico City, Tangier, Paris, and London, Burroughs finally returned to America in 1974, settling in Lawrence, Kansas, where he lived and worked until his death in 1997.

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    Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment in life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life. Junky, Burroughs's cult classic, is a raw, semi-autobiographical account of drug addiction, which outraged America and influenced generations of writers to come. He relates with unflinching realism the highs and lows of dependencyβ€”euphoria, hallucinations, ghostly...
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  • Naked Lunch
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