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skizzyskee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Read before seeing Luca Guadagnino’s 2024 film adaptation with Daniel Craig and Drew Starkley. This was my first introduction to Burroughs’ unique writing style, and while some of his “routines” ran a little tiresome (and even Burroughs conveys that Lee understands he is tiresome), I really enjoyed the writing style, settings, and theme of Queer.
alexisreadingabook's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
emmajolsson's review
5.0
"While it was I who wrote Junky, I feel that I was being written in Queer."
God, I don't even know where to start with this book, except: William Burroughs' own introduction/companion text to this book is everything.
The book itself wasn't a 5 star read without it, from page to page I kept changing my mind from 2 to 4 to 2 to 5 to 3 stars. And then at the end, the companion text just, I don't even know, but it was like having the last piece of the puzzle and all of a sudden this huge mess made sense, and I can't stop thinking bout it.
The prose is so...uneven? At times it's weirdly clipped, and it's as if huge chunks of the dialogue are missing, and then, there are these perfectly crafted sentences—paragraphs—which blow you away.
And I'm thinking, this style goes hand in hand with the lucidity (or lack there of) of Lee, who floats in an out of drunkenness, of withdrawal, and drug induced fog.
It's sad and cringeworthy at the same time, you watch Lee and you want to tell him to chill the fuck out, but God, the man is so lonely, can't anyone just befriend him? And you want to cry. (But you don't want to be his friend either b/c he's kind of an asshole... but still.)
It's a very short book, but I read it over several days, not more than two chapters a day, I needed to digest it, but between the sessions I couldn't stop thinking about it, and now I definitely can't. I understand that Burroughs isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I find myself oddly intrigued but him and can't wait to read more. I want to read Junky and The Yage letters and then come back an re-read this. I would have read Naked Lunch already if it hadn't been delayed (been waiting for it for over two weeks now...)
It's a weird feeling, I love to hate to love it? I wish I had someone to discuss this with, there are so many layers, so much problematic shit, so much that confused me (but got clearer with the Appendix) and I just want to TALK ABOUT IT, OK?!
Anyway, I usually don't bother with quotes but like, I want to quote half the book and the entire companion text, so...
This:
"In any relation of love or friendship, Lee attempted to establish contact on the non-verbal level of intuition, a silent exchange of thought and feeling. Now Allerton had abruptly shut off contact, and Lee felt a physical pain, as though a part of himself tentatively stretched out toward the other had been severed, and he was looking at the bleeding stump in shock and disbelief."
And this:
"His throat began to ache, moisture hit his eyes, and he fell across the bed, sobbing convulsively. He pulled his knees up and covered his face with his hands, the fists clenched."
Got me right in the feels.
Ah, and this gem:
"If I had my way, we’d sleep every night all wrapped around each other like hibernating rattlesnakes." (Which in all honesty is a lot prettier taken out of context.)
Of course, this one, bit on the nose but brutal all the same:
"Hold the son of a bitch out and I’ll blast it,” he said, striking a Napoleonic pose. The boy tied a string to the mouse’s tail and held it out at arm’s length. Lee fired from a distance of three feet. His bullet tore the mouse’s head off."
And, finally, some of Bill's own thoughts on this book:
"When I started to write this companion text to Queer, I was paralyzed with a heavy reluctance, a writer’s block like a straitjacket: 'I glance at the manuscript of Queer and feel I simply can’t read it. My past was a poisoned river from which one was fortunate to escape, and by which one feels immediately threatened, years after the events recorded—painful to an extent I find it difficult to read, let alone to write about. Every word and gesture sets the teeth on edge.' The reason for this reluctance becomes clearer as I force myself to look: the book is motivated and formed by an event which is never mentioned, in fact is carefully avoided: the accidental shooting death of my wife, Joan, in September 1951."
God, I don't even know where to start with this book, except: William Burroughs' own introduction/companion text to this book is everything.
The book itself wasn't a 5 star read without it, from page to page I kept changing my mind from 2 to 4 to 2 to 5 to 3 stars. And then at the end, the companion text just, I don't even know, but it was like having the last piece of the puzzle and all of a sudden this huge mess made sense, and I can't stop thinking bout it.
The prose is so...uneven? At times it's weirdly clipped, and it's as if huge chunks of the dialogue are missing, and then, there are these perfectly crafted sentences—paragraphs—which blow you away.
And I'm thinking, this style goes hand in hand with the lucidity (or lack there of) of Lee, who floats in an out of drunkenness, of withdrawal, and drug induced fog.
It's sad and cringeworthy at the same time, you watch Lee and you want to tell him to chill the fuck out, but God, the man is so lonely, can't anyone just befriend him? And you want to cry. (But you don't want to be his friend either b/c he's kind of an asshole... but still.)
It's a very short book, but I read it over several days, not more than two chapters a day, I needed to digest it, but between the sessions I couldn't stop thinking about it, and now I definitely can't. I understand that Burroughs isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I find myself oddly intrigued but him and can't wait to read more. I want to read Junky and The Yage letters and then come back an re-read this. I would have read Naked Lunch already if it hadn't been delayed (been waiting for it for over two weeks now...)
It's a weird feeling, I love to hate to love it? I wish I had someone to discuss this with, there are so many layers, so much problematic shit, so much that confused me (but got clearer with the Appendix) and I just want to TALK ABOUT IT, OK?!
Anyway, I usually don't bother with quotes but like, I want to quote half the book and the entire companion text, so...
This:
"In any relation of love or friendship, Lee attempted to establish contact on the non-verbal level of intuition, a silent exchange of thought and feeling. Now Allerton had abruptly shut off contact, and Lee felt a physical pain, as though a part of himself tentatively stretched out toward the other had been severed, and he was looking at the bleeding stump in shock and disbelief."
And this:
"His throat began to ache, moisture hit his eyes, and he fell across the bed, sobbing convulsively. He pulled his knees up and covered his face with his hands, the fists clenched."
Got me right in the feels.
Ah, and this gem:
"If I had my way, we’d sleep every night all wrapped around each other like hibernating rattlesnakes." (Which in all honesty is a lot prettier taken out of context.)
Of course, this one, bit on the nose but brutal all the same:
"Hold the son of a bitch out and I’ll blast it,” he said, striking a Napoleonic pose. The boy tied a string to the mouse’s tail and held it out at arm’s length. Lee fired from a distance of three feet. His bullet tore the mouse’s head off."
And, finally, some of Bill's own thoughts on this book:
"When I started to write this companion text to Queer, I was paralyzed with a heavy reluctance, a writer’s block like a straitjacket: 'I glance at the manuscript of Queer and feel I simply can’t read it. My past was a poisoned river from which one was fortunate to escape, and by which one feels immediately threatened, years after the events recorded—painful to an extent I find it difficult to read, let alone to write about. Every word and gesture sets the teeth on edge.' The reason for this reluctance becomes clearer as I force myself to look: the book is motivated and formed by an event which is never mentioned, in fact is carefully avoided: the accidental shooting death of my wife, Joan, in September 1951."
erikswallow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
letheii's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
take a shot every time lee refers to himself as "papa" when talking to allerton
sarug's review against another edition
4.5
“‘no one is ever really alone. you are part of everything alive.’ the difficulty is to convince someone else he is really part of you, so what the hell? us parts ought to work together.”
dogbones's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
geozoink's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0