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schopenhauers_poodle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
An enjoyable work about queer longing from William Burrough's early years. Doomed romance, a nomadic expat life, sexual fluidity, and ayahuasca–it still feels contemporary.
I've been going through Burrough's works starting with "Junky," which I did not particularly like. "Queer" on the other hand, I found to be a poignant and engaging story of frustrated desire. Originally meant to be published together with "Junky," as a sort of juxtaposition of need (for a drug) and desire (for another, specifically, Lewis Marker), "Queer" stands on it's own. Where I found "Junky" flat, disjointed, and it's original shock value diminished significantly from time and more progressive attitudes, I found "Queer" vulnerable and emotionally brutal. And despite the introduction's claims, "Queer" has a straightforward narrative with a more developed plot and characters than "Junky." The background of Mexico City and expat life in all it's excesses and abuses was also excellent.
I have yet to see the movie but if you've never read Burroughs before, be forewarned that his protagonists are not likeable or of upstanding moral character; nor is that a prerequisite for good writing or even relatability to aspects of "Lee." (And skip the introduction if you don't want spoilers.)
Burroughs should have published this one and not waited decades.
I've been going through Burrough's works starting with "Junky," which I did not particularly like. "Queer" on the other hand, I found to be a poignant and engaging story of frustrated desire. Originally meant to be published together with "Junky," as a sort of juxtaposition of need (for a drug) and desire (for another, specifically, Lewis Marker), "Queer" stands on it's own. Where I found "Junky" flat, disjointed, and it's original shock value diminished significantly from time and more progressive attitudes, I found "Queer" vulnerable and emotionally brutal. And despite the introduction's claims, "Queer" has a straightforward narrative with a more developed plot and characters than "Junky." The background of Mexico City and expat life in all it's excesses and abuses was also excellent.
I have yet to see the movie but if you've never read Burroughs before, be forewarned that his protagonists are not likeable or of upstanding moral character; nor is that a prerequisite for good writing or even relatability to aspects of "Lee." (And skip the introduction if you don't want spoilers.)
Burroughs should have published this one and not waited decades.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Colonisation
emluss99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Pedophilia
petit_lecteur's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Violence, and Outing
nofutureno's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Junky to Queer can be contextualised in the well trodden NA to SLA pipeline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Homophobia
maestro_cerrotorcido's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
0.5
A friend gave me this book for my birthday. I think she maybe grabbed it at a thrift store and didn't really research much into it. I had never heard of William Burroughs nor the Beat Generation. I hated the author from the introduction where he uses a racial slur and would have DNF'd this book really early if it hadn't been a gift. And even though the book was written earlier (maybe the 50's?), the introduction is dated in 1985 when the book was published. The book is described as semi-autobiographical which makes me dislike Burroughs even more because to call every character in the book unlikable would be an understatement. Lee is horribly racist, misogynistic, and pedo-y. The reader is asked to take into account that he is going with withdrawal so his libido is coming back which doesn't sit well with me. I then researched more of Burroughs's life and found out that I not only dislike him more but he is a pretty famous and liked author which is baffling to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Alcohol
blackbookbitch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this! An incredible exploration of desire and queer identity influenced by Burroughs' own trouble with substances and his interest in the occult. I don't think I've seen anyone write about the ugliness of desire in such a way before and I felt it so deeply and understood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism
tasteofcherrry's review against another edition
1.0
I found almost no appealing or touching parts in this one. I didn’t like the style of prose or the way it uses character perspectives. I didn’t like the lackluster story arc, or any of the underdeveloped characters. Half of this very short book is just people monologuing about random stuff. Upon some research I realize this was a beatnik-esque stylistic choice, however it wasn’t for me. I’ve read modernist works that use stream of consciousness and fluid narration from the late 1800’s, with similar levels of racism, that were heaps more interesting to read.
Lee’s subconscious desire and search for love, connection and understanding is pretty universal– so that was cool I guess. The tragedy of him looking for them in drug-ridden avenues and in relationship dynamics that are inhospitable to true affection. But I never felt like this aspect was what the book focused on, and I couldn’t find it in me to care much.
On top of all of this, this entire novel (that’s set in South America) is written through a vile, nauseating colonial lens. The way non-white people are described and referred to were disgusting. Plus, Lee is literally a pedophile. This isn’t explored in a Nobokov style; we learn this in a throwaway scene. None of these are really related to Lee’s ‘loneliness’ or the effects of his addiction.
I decided to read this before watching the 2024 Luca Guadagnino adaptation, so now I’m quite nervous. I hope he was able to give more depth and nuance to the story and actually have something more substantial to say.
Lee’s subconscious desire and search for love, connection and understanding is pretty universal– so that was cool I guess. The tragedy of him looking for them in drug-ridden avenues and in relationship dynamics that are inhospitable to true affection. But I never felt like this aspect was what the book focused on, and I couldn’t find it in me to care much.
On top of all of this, this entire novel (that’s set in South America) is written through a vile, nauseating colonial lens. The way non-white people are described and referred to were disgusting. Plus, Lee is literally a pedophile. This isn’t explored in a Nobokov style; we learn this in a throwaway scene. None of these are really related to Lee’s ‘loneliness’ or the effects of his addiction.
I decided to read this before watching the 2024 Luca Guadagnino adaptation, so now I’m quite nervous. I hope he was able to give more depth and nuance to the story and actually have something more substantial to say.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Racism
linaslzr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
I like the introduction which provided more context for the story and also found the appendix interesting, learning about the author's relationship to the manuscript, not having read it for sp many years bc of how traumatic it was.
I found the prose simple but interesting enough. The writing was quite visceral and graphic at times, and really vague others. A bit of weird mix of straightforward narrative and disjointed monologues. I think it did a good job of portraying a really deep sadness, and I guess I did end up feeling some sympathy for him at times. It felt like he was projecteing his desperation, self-deprecation, and bitterness onto his view of the world, which also reflects societal norms, especially for the time that it was written. It felt incomplete which I guess make sense.
I found the prose simple but interesting enough. The writing was quite visceral and graphic at times, and really vague others. A bit of weird mix of straightforward narrative and disjointed monologues. I think it did a good job of portraying a really deep sadness, and I guess I did end up feeling some sympathy for him at times. It felt like he was projecteing his desperation, self-deprecation, and bitterness onto his view of the world, which also reflects societal norms, especially for the time that it was written. It felt incomplete which I guess make sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
campire's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Medical content, Trafficking, and Stalking
lucius_gooseman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
slow-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
4.0
“Pat's served excellent steaks. Lee liked the place because it was never crowded. At Pat's, he ordered a double dry martini. Allerton had rum and Coke. Lee began talking about telepathy.”
This book is really crushing. In the same vein of A Single Man, Burroughs’s Queer is an aching, longing portrayal of queerness in the wrong time and place. My heart goes out to Lee, who is a repugnant character, but also such a relatable figure. He and I have the same moves, btw (talk constantly) and the quote above just decimated me, I don’t know why. It’s the quiet moments in Queer that make it as enjoyable as it is, a man who’s lost his way looking for love and losing it just as he's lost everything else. Despite Lee's shortcomings, I really related to him and found the book endlessly readable because of it- his fight for love is bogged down by his unlovable tendencies and quirks, the community pushes him down, and he's literally addicted to intravenous drugs.
Queer is sadly, bogged down by several anecdotal monologues pertaining to nothing in particular, feeling more like a stand-up special for William S. Burroughs than a narrative novel. His writing style is particularly abrasive, cutting up the rather romantic and wistful prose with racial slurs and sexual dialogue. I'm not offended by it, but he actually has some nice writing here that's really trampled on. There is also a secondary plot much more akin to Jungle Cruise than anything remotely psychological or romantical, a search for Ayahuasca that takes precedence over everything Burroughs worked toward in terms of romance, longing, and character building. Thankfully, this inspired me to read his other books, soooo it was ultimately successful.
This book is really crushing. In the same vein of A Single Man, Burroughs’s Queer is an aching, longing portrayal of queerness in the wrong time and place. My heart goes out to Lee, who is a repugnant character, but also such a relatable figure. He and I have the same moves, btw (talk constantly) and the quote above just decimated me, I don’t know why. It’s the quiet moments in Queer that make it as enjoyable as it is, a man who’s lost his way looking for love and losing it just as he's lost everything else. Despite Lee's shortcomings, I really related to him and found the book endlessly readable because of it- his fight for love is bogged down by his unlovable tendencies and quirks, the community pushes him down, and he's literally addicted to intravenous drugs.
Queer is sadly, bogged down by several anecdotal monologues pertaining to nothing in particular, feeling more like a stand-up special for William S. Burroughs than a narrative novel. His writing style is particularly abrasive, cutting up the rather romantic and wistful prose with racial slurs and sexual dialogue. I'm not offended by it, but he actually has some nice writing here that's really trampled on. There is also a secondary plot much more akin to Jungle Cruise than anything remotely psychological or romantical, a search for Ayahuasca that takes precedence over everything Burroughs worked toward in terms of romance, longing, and character building. Thankfully, this inspired me to read his other books, soooo it was ultimately successful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship