Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

Controversial and bizarre cult novel based on the author’s own experiences as a drug addict, first published in 1959. Formed as a series of inter-connected adventures set in locations as diverse as the U.S. Mexico and Morocco sees the protagonist, Burroughs’ alter-ego William Lee on the run from the police and always searching for his next fix. Burroughs once stated that the chapters can be read in any order.

Meet lack is meet lack. Lack of meet. A meet is a meet. Where you meet somebody.

Unlike anything I have ever read. Insane, manic, wild. Certainly a book I will never read again, but I am glad I had the experience. The best description I think comes from the final pages of the book itself:

“This book spill off the page in all directions, kaleidoscope of vistas, medley of tunes and street noises, farts and riot yipes and the slamming steel shutters of commerce, screams of pain and pathos and screams plain pathic, copulating cats and outrages squawk of the displaced bull head, prophetic mutterings of brujo in nutmeg trances, snapping necks and screaming mandrakes, sigh of orgasm, heroin silent as down in the thirsty cells, Radio Cairo screaming like a berserk tobacco auction, and flutes of Ramadan fanning the sick junky like a gentle lush worker in the grey subway dawn feeling with delicate fingers for the green folding crackle....”

Side note: wild that the band Steely Dan got their name from a series of Yokohama dildos described in this book