Interzone

Rating:
Summary: The Alien Corn
Review: A novel of dangerous ideas, Interzone is literature at its subversive best. Like with all Burroughs' fictions, you'll never think about things the same after this.

Rating:
Summary: essential reading to really fully grasp burroughs genius
Review: Burroughs has incredible insight and an unmatched knack for spotting a con. This book contains an invaluable collection of short stories and journal rants that really showcase an emerging writer exploding with ideas in the transient surroundings of Tangier, which he describes as "the listening post of the world":

"Here East meets West in a final debacle of misunderstanding, each seeking the Answer, the Secret, from the other and not finding it, because neither has the Answer to give".

You hear firsthand his ideas and theories on writing so this is probably the best introduction to William Burroughs, as you prepare with the artist himself, stranded in interzone, for the arrival of a much more fragmented and explosive Naked Lunch.


Rating:
Summary: A great example of American story telling.
Review: Burroughs takes the essence of Naked Lunch, and this time divivdes it into somewhat a short-story form. The way Burroughs mashes a million different idea into one sentence really makes you feel like you are in the mind of a junkie.

Rating:
Summary: A great starting place
Review: I think if you want to start out reading Burroughs, the best place to start out is here. In my opinion, Burroughs wrote better short stories than novels. Recommendations are Sapre A** Annie (that's only the please the censors), Twilight's Last Gleamings, A Junky's Christmas and Word. Overall an excellent documentation of the twisted mind of one of the most celebreated authors of the last century.

Rating:
Summary: For the Burroughs Amateur
Review: Interzone is the second book by Burroughs that I've read. I started to read Naked Lunch, but soon realized it was too much for me to handle having not read any Burroughs before. A friend recomended that I read Junky, Queer, and Interzone before I read Naked Lunch. I thank him for that. Interzone is easy to follow for the most part.
The first section called "Stories" is just that, a series of eight really interesting short stories. This section is definately reader friendly if you can keep of with Junky. The second section called "Lee's Journals" is Burroughs writing while he's staying in Tangier, a seaport city on the North African coast. It's in Journal form. He writes of things that are actually happening around him, his thaughts of the city, and the dreams he has. This section is slightly cut up and random, but I feel it is the perfect step up for a Burroughs reader, because you can still understand everything easily and stay very interested. "Word" is the third and final section. I feel that this section is just a freewrite. I know he has a point with his writing but I don't think I've read enough of his writing yet to get it. Word is hard to understand but still very interesting.
I feel I am an amateur Burroughs reader, and I am writing this review for those just getting into his writing as well. This book will definately step you up a notch in the world of William S. Burroughs, but it shouldn't be the first one you read. If you're just getting started with Burroughs, start yourself off with Junky, you will love it.

Rating:
Summary: For the Burroughs Amateur
Review: Interzone is the second book by Burroughs that I've read. I started to read Naked Lunch, but soon realized it was too much for me to handle having not read any Burroughs before. A friend recomended that I read Junky, Queer, and Interzone before I read Naked Lunch. I thank him for that. Interzone is easy to follow for the most part.
The first section called "Stories" is just that, a series of eight really interesting short stories. This section is definately reader friendly if you can keep of with Junky. The second section called "Lee's Journals" is Burroughs writing while he's staying in Tangier, a seaport city on the North African coast. It's in Journal form. He writes of things that are actually happening around him, his thaughts of the city, and the dreams he has. This section is slightly cut up and random, but I feel it is the perfect step up for a Burroughs reader, because you can still understand everything easily and stay very interested. "Word" is the third and final section. I feel that this section is just a freewrite. I know he has a point with his writing but I don't think I've read enough of his writing yet to get it. Word is hard to understand but still very interesting.
I feel I am an amateur Burroughs reader, and I am writing this review for those just getting into his writing as well. This book will definately step you up a notch in the world of William S. Burroughs, but it shouldn't be the first one you read. If you're just getting started with Burroughs, start yourself off with Junky, you will love it.