Meike's Reviews > Junky

First published as a pulp novel as other publishers didn't dare to put it out into the world, Burroughs' largely autobiographical account talks about his descent into addiction, his criminal career and the cycle of withdrawal and relapse. In dry, laconic language, the author turns away from the romanticization of drug as tools to expand the mind; rather, he shows opioid consumption (junk as opposed to psychedelic drugs) as an all-encompassing, pervasive lifestyle which, just as mirrored in Burroughs' narrative routines, completely overtakes the junky. At the same time, Burroughs doesn't judge or give a moral perspective, which renders the text all the more raw, honest and captivating.

It's funny that this was deemed unpublishable for such a long time, as it is probably the most straightforward, accessible text the author has ever produced. While reflecting Burroughs' love for hardboiled novels, it often reads like a reportage that states a bleak reality, centering on the opinion that a person becomes a junky because of the lack of passion for other lifestyle choices, per default. Burroughs writes the darkes beat literature available.

A classic that is much easier to stomach than the experimental novel that overshadows it, Naked Lunch.