Alright /lit/, finished all the books I had finally so bought this new stack. Whachu think? I know the beats are hated but fuck it, why? Because of their Tumblr fans? I loved Big Sur so I picked up these other beats. Also read I Wonder As I Wander by Hughes and it's probably my favorite non fiction book.
Well into the Flannery O'Connor stories at the moment, very good stuff. Maybe I'm ignorant because this sounds like too easy a conclusion but her style really does remind me of a middle ground behind Faulkner and Hemingway.
On the Road was the most teenager book i've tried to read in a long time and gave up.
Also please start with Junky and Queer before going into Naked Lunch
>>8076774
What do you mean "teenage book"? That it's edgy and masterbatory? Because that's what I'd been led to believe about Kerouac, but Big Sur seemed almost the opposite of that. It seemed like a humble description of a lifestyle that could easily be romanticized. But I guess that is the later book after he had matured so maybe you're right, but I'll see.
And I already have Naked Lunch so too late
>>8076786
On the Road is just that generic teenage tale of finding yourself and doing what you want and just driving around like a listless loser. The people who loved Boyhood are the same people who will and do like On the Road. The character's names are trash, the plot is real sleepy, and there's just not much there going for it. Stick to his poetry.
You're not going to understand Naked Lunch anyway, but y'know if you read the two prior, at least you'll have the context that this guy is coming from to better step up to the plate
>>8076774
Why do you say read Junky and Queer first? I don't have Naked Lunch but I'm reading Junky right now.
>>8076849
If you're vaguely aware of what Naked Lunch is, you understand it's this disjointed psychotic helltrip filled with pedophilia, drugs, homosexuality, etc
Queer deals with Burroughs' sexuality and the things he saw in Mexico City back in the 30s (written in the 30s too i believe; not published for decades due to content)
Junky as you can see deals with the drugs and even lightly covers some pedophilia
Basically reading all his early, quite comprehensible stuff sets you into the mindscape and lived experiences of this guy. Naked Lunch is just expertly written in a manner that makes it feel less real where in reality, lots of that shit is heavily grounded in reality. Burroughs brought the nasty of the 40s-50s to surface more than anyone else really.
>>8076876
So far reading Junky sounds like Burroughs is writing down every story he remembers whenever he cans. Whenever I see that dot on a page I just imagine he just remember more of his story. It's a good book. I should complete it faster than I'm reading it. I didn't spend too much time on the introduction. I think the actually story is better than the other author giving his input.
