Word Virus: The William S. Burroughs Reader (Burroughs, William S.)

Reasons Burroughs was a great writer:

* He wrote the truth, at least as he knew it, but it is a truth most of us should agree with.
* He knew how to write. When he wants, he can write clear descriptive prose that Fitzgerald or Steinbeck would have been proud of. When using his cut-up method, the words still convey a meaning that I think is pretty clear to a reader who is willing to just let them drift over him.
* He knew a lot about a lot. It is amazing how much knowledge he drags into his works, and even through his very personal lens, it shows a lot of understanding.
* He can be hysterically funny.
* He can be helpful. See the guide to Doing Easy extracted from The Exterminator. It was my favorite part of that book and it should truly be show more published as a self-help guide.

Yes, he could also write some pretty extreme stuff--particularly if you are homophobic. Get over it. Also if you're a drugophobe.

Grauerholz and Silverberg have done us all a favor by collecting these extracts from Burroughs' oeuvre. Grauerholz's biographical essays that begin each part are well written and help explain the texts that follow.

Don't be afraid of Burroughs. He can no longer be in a room with you. He can no longer want to play William Tell. Now, you can just sit back and enjoy his genius. show less

Unless you are determined to delve deep into Burroughs' unique mind and work immediately, this book is an excellent sampling from his entire oeuvre. For me, a lot of his stuff is too experimental and not particularly engaging, so this book gives you some of his best work in digestible doses. I have yet to read any of the collections of letters or essays, but I'm thinking about it...

With the publication of Naked Lunch in 1959, William Burroughs abruptly brought international letters into the postmodern age. Beginning with his very early writing (including a chapter from his and Jack Kerouac's never-before-seen collaborative novel), Word Virus follows the arc of Burroughs's remarkable career, from his darkly hilarious "routines" to the experimental cut-up novels to Cities of the Red Night and The Cat Inside. Beautifully edited and complemented by James Grauerholz's illuminating biographical essays, Word Virus charts Burroughs's major themes and places the work in the context of the life. It is an excellent tool for the scholar and a delight for the general reader. Throughout a career that spanned half of the show more twentieth century, William S. Burroughs managed continually to be a visionary among writers. When he died in 1997, the world of letters lost its most elegant outsider. show less

For the William S. Burroughs fan, or for the beginner. Selected prose pieces by the man.