The likes of Jack Kerouac and (in the ’70s) Charles Bukowski represented a loose way of living which has appealed to subsequent generations of youths, but with the hedonism there comes the downside. Along with many other beat generation writers from the era, the author was steeped in culture, post-war hedonism, and fast living. We can’t think of a more bizarre road to publication than this one. He had a culpable homicide verdict stuck on him and, in 1953, had Junky published. Burroughs (1914-1997) famously accidentally shot his wife dead in 1951 during a drunken and misguided attempt at William Tell (shooting an apple off someone’s head). What remains is a searing piece of beat generation writing from one eccentric bloke. Burrough’s notorious Junky will give you all the highs and lows associated with the drug, with the descriptions of agonisingly protracted withdrawal sessions enough to put anyone off for life. If you’ve ever wanted to consume heroin, this short semi-autobiographical book will put you off.
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