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Junky

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
Junky by William S. Burroughs is a semi-autobiographical novel that draws from the author's own experiences with addiction. It delves into the gritty, underground world of drug use in 1950s America, presenting a candid and unflinching portrayal of a man's struggle with heroin and his ensuing life of crime and evasion. Through its raw narrative, the book provides insight into the addict's mindset and the darker sides of urban existence.
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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 interested in exploring the gritty and raw realities of addiction through a semi-autobiographical lens. It offers a candid insight into the mind and experiences of someone deeply entrenched in the world of drug use, providing a compelling narrative that combines wit with a stark portrayal of 1950s America. Its straightforward style and vivid descriptions offer a unique perspective that is both thought-provoking and eye-opening.

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Junky

A novel that offers an account of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses.

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

Junky, Burroughs' first novel, remains the most unflinching, unsentimental account of addiction ever written.

A largely autobiographical account, Junky explores the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures, and relapses. It takes readers through junk neighbourhoods in New York, New Orleans, and Mexico City, detailing time spent kicking, dealing, and rolling drunks for money. The narrative delves into junk sickness and life inside a sanatorium.

As a field report by a writer trained in anthropology at Harvard, Junky provides a vivid glimpse into the American post-war drug underground. A cult classic, it has influenced generations of writers with its raw, sparse, and unapologetic tone. This definitive edition painstakingly recreates the author's original text word for word.

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?

Junky by William S. Burroughs offers a raw depiction of addiction and the subculture surrounding it. Critics generally praise its candid and unflinching portrayal of the life of a heroin addict, considering it an integral work for understanding Burroughs' literary style and themes. The memoir is noted for its straightforward narrative and its influence on the Beat Generation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141189826

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 November 2008

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Oliver Harris

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 160g

Pages: 208

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics William S. Burroughs

About the Author

William S. Burroughs was born on February 5, 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, 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, The Wild Boys, The Ticket That Exploded and The Soft Machine. After living in Mexico City, Tangier, Paris, and London, Burroughs finally returned to America in 1974. He died in 1997.

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