Junky: The Definitive Text of "Junk"

William Burroughs chronicles his early days of heroin addiction in "Junky," which as one of the introductions puts it is a fictitious narrative based on events from his life. The stories he tells are dark, brilliant and kept me turning the pages well into the night. In "Junky" we learn about Burroughs' avatar "Bill Lee" and how he gets addicted to morphine, an addiction which as he puts is not like alcohol or marijuana, but is something more akin to a mathematical equation. The main character, Bill, first starts in New York City, where he becomes addicted to 'junk,' he and his friends do everything in their power to acquire it, from stealing money from drunks on the subway to conning senile doctors into writing them morphine prescriptions. After awhile he decides to enter rehab out West, and as soon as he gets himself off the junk, he relapses in New Orleans where a good bulk of the book takes place. There, he is eventually arrested for possession and soon after skips town to Mexico, where he stays for the remainder of the novel and struggles with his on again off again addiction to heroin. The people he meets along the way are all colorful characters who are based on people who are all long dead now, their personae immortalized through Burroughs' unforgettably stylistic prose. That's a very loose summary of the book, granted, you have to read the whole thing the whole way through to really take it all in and understand the world Burroughs/Lee lived in. It's a fascinating trip and being a fan of Burroughs' later works I was shocked when I finished this book that it took me this long to get to it in the first place. You see bits and pieces that would later reappear 'cut-up' in novels like "Naked Lunch" and "Nova Express," as well as some familiar faces like Hauser and O'Brien-- which this book implies were two very real police officers. I absolutely loved this novel. It's a harrowing tale and a warning to all those who dance with something like heroin. Out of all the novels I've read by Burroughs, from 'Naked Lunch' to 'The Wild Boys' to this very novel's sequel 'Queer,' I think that 'Junky' may be his best work, which is absolutely stellar for a then-inexperienced writer. He wrote what he knew and what he knew was the 'algebra of need,' and this novel presents that by showing Burroughs at his clearest. It is important to remember what the one introduction mentions: This novel is fiction based on fact, not necessarily everything in it is true, but knowing Burroughs, the truth shone through more often than not because of the utter believability of the characters, places and events that transpire throughout this darkly magical novel. If you read William Burroughs and haven't read "Junky," don't hesitate to buy this book. It's a trip. And for newcomers to William Burroughs, you should absolutely pick it up and start with it, then read 'Queer,' (the sequel to 'Junky' which I actually read before it) and move on to wade through the deep water of Burroughs' dark and fractured and beautiful imagination. This is hands-down, one of the best novels I have ever read in my life and it proudly deserves a spot easily accessible on my bookshelf!

The definitive book to read about the life of a narcotics addict. Jails, institutions, and death. Burroughs, addicted to morphine and heroin, in New York City in the later 1940s, in New Orleans circa 1950, and then (avoiding the law) in Mexico in the early Fifties. Addictive reading, it doesn't get any better than his if you're interested in knowing about the life.

My wife loved the book and it helped her to have insight into her drug addiction and hopefully this and other such writings will help her understand and face her addiction and find her way out of the nightmare of drug addiction that has almost destroyed her and all who love her.

Please read the introduction that proceeds the novel first. By doing so, you will be better prepared to follow along with the narrative as you progress through the novel. The editing process (even down to the very title) has chopped this book to pieces. It left me wondering what the original manuscript consisted of and how it read. However, I chose to read Junky through a John Waters plug and suggestion. It is my understanding that Burroughs has quite a deep literary oeuvre and this single piece of work stands out as the most different. With that being said, I figured I’d start here first and then move on to his opus magnum: Naked Lunch. Junky as mentioned before reads very choppy. The narrative is prosaic at points, however you are given glimpses of Burroughs skill for description and illustration along the way. From a historical standpoint it’s worth the read as the novel loosely follows Burroughs wild and profligate life. Junky also allows you to take a free trip into the costly and clandestine world of junkie subculture. Where addiction and finding the next fix is a sacrosanct. Where junk is a badge and unique reminder that its what they have and what we do not. Full of unique argot, archaic pharmaceuticals and comical inaccuracies (cocaine use isn’t addictive). Junky may not be Burroughs best work, however it is a piece of historical documentation. Streets, names and places may have all changed since its publication, but the junkie game is still very much the same today as it was back then. Score or get sick.

Arrived with a little bit of damage but otherwise great book

What more could be said about this book? Generations of critics, professors, students and writers have placed Burroughs as one of the contemporary greats. Junky is told from the first person narrative of a homosexual heroin addict in the 1950s. So much for Leave it to Beaver! How much of it was true? Probably Burroughs was like Bukowski, who mixed reality with hyperbole in unknown proportions. Still, Burroughs has a clear voice, however dark. If you are a writer, you need to read this just to feel his pulse. It is deadpan, but compelling. Burroughs' more famous work was Naked Lunch, which finally got a film treatment in the late 80s with Peter Weller acting. The problem with it was that it was too much like a plotless acid trip, which ruined the poignancy of the prose. Therefore, like most musicians, writers and other artists, their best works are usually the B-sides. My favorite part is in the middle, as he describes investing in an orchard, comparing it to a hustler operation. Truely a different kind of work from a unique writer.

I read this book because, unfortunately my son is a heroin addict. I've tried to educate myself as much as possible about this deadly drug. Burrough's book is, in my opinion, one of the definitive books on heroin. Burroughs was an addict and wrote about the daily life of a heroin addict. No glamorization nor hysteria--the facts of his life as he lived his addiction. Sadly, what Burroughs wrote back then still holds true today; the works, the bags, the insane search constantly for the fix in order not to get dope sick. Nothing has changed. The book is brilliant because Burroughs had to capture the entire essence of being a junkie without going overboard or trying to be convincing that he led a horrible life--he didn't believe he did. It was just the way it was.

A must for Beat Literature, however the previous owner (used book) wrote her opinions all over the book, and I have to say she's the kind of reader that would feel better with some kind of cheap romantic literature, considering all the stupid remarks she made. It is really a shame that AMAZON would even think of selling a trashed book like that - it was never mentioned the real condition of the book.

I read it the second time now. First read was entertaining as Bill got a way of telling stories. Second read as an addict now myself I can understand a lot more of how the scene works. And it's an interesting view into not only his own journey of addiction but into the post war drug scene in America in general. 5 Stars. Gonna read it again sometime later in my life. As you generally say you should read a book 3 times. Once as a young adult. Once as an adult and once as an elderly as you get new perspectives yourself and interpret much of the text differently each time, and therefore be able to take something new from it every time.

鮎川信夫訳「ジャンキー」は素晴らしい。今は河出文庫で発行されている。 それを読んで興味を持った方は、ぜひこれを手にして欲しい。面白さは保証いたします。 「裸のランチ」「ノヴァ急報」で、やや悪い意味で「舞い上がって」しまう前の、良心あるバロウズの小説である。山形浩生氏によれば、ルー・リードはバロウズのベストに本書を挙げているのだそうだ。 誇張したいいかたではなく、「今でも色あせない書物」である。ドラッグ描写なんかはリアルだし、英語自体もナイスだ。ペンギン版で出ているのも当然といえば当然かな。 バロウズは「JunkはKickじゃねえ、Lifeなのだ」と本書でおっしゃっている。こんなださい（失礼！）ことは現代の青臭いミュージシャンだって言わないのでは。まあ、それはそれ、ドラッグ経験者にしかわからないことだってありますからね。ドラッグに興味のない方で、バロウズが好きだ、という方にも、このペンギン版はお勧めだ。

This books is as horrific as addictive. I can't wait to read more from this author. Eye opening and terrifying. A read you will never forget.

Free flowing, sick and a distinct world of its own, this is a classic and im glad i read it.

La calidad del papel me parece muy mala y fina de un color que parece papel periódico literalmente, el precio es carísimo para una versión que se nota que es muy barata solo lo compré porque es la única opción en inglés que te llega rápido