Place of Dead Roads (Flamingo Modern Classic) [Paperback]

William S Burroughs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 16, 2001 | Series: Flamingo Modern Classic

Burroughs' classic, surreal reworking of the myth of the Old West. William Burroughs' surreal fable set in America's Old West features a cast of notorious characters: The Crying Gun, who breaks into tears at the sight of his opponent; The Priest, who goes into gunfights giving his adversaries the last rites; and The Nihilistic Kid himself, Kim Carson, who, with a succession of beautiful sidekicks, sets out to challenge the morality of smalltown America. With a narrative of fantastical proportions and a rich, dry, growling humour, 'The Place of Dead Roads' continues Burroughs' exploration of society's controlling forces -- the State, the Church, women, literature, drugs -- with a style utterly unique in 20th century literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'In the English language, William Burroughs is the greatest writer alive. His imagination has tackled head-on the post-war world, with its huge bureaucracies and sinister complexes. He has a paranoid vision, but as he himself said: the psychotic is someone who knows what's really going on.' JG Ballard, Sunday Times '"The Place of Dead Roads" is Burroughs at his very best, with the same remarkable ear for dialogue and effortless originality.' Guardian

About the Author

William Burroughs was born in St Louis, Missouri in 1914. Immensely influential among the Beat writers of the 1950s -- notably Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg -- he already had an underground reputation before the appearance of his first important book, 'Naked Lunch'. William Burroughs died in 1997.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Flamingo (July 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0586085920
• ISBN-13: 978-0586085929
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,241,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced space/time adventure through the very wild west, August 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Place of Dead Roads: A Novel (Paperback)

The Place of Dead Roads is the second book in the Western Lands trilogy, which begins with Cities of the Red Night and concludes with The Western Lands. The story begins in late 19th century American west, following the exploits of the young, homosexual, opiate addicted gunslinger, Kim Carsons. We follow Carsons and his gang, the Wild Fruits, through wired western mythology and sci-fi space/time travelling adventure as they attempt to organize the world-wide "Johnson Family", to overthrow the humans infected by a venusian virus which turns them into religious snooping control freaks. All the elements of classic Burroughs are here. There's an abundance of drug frenzy, violence and wicked black humour. This book, or its prequel Cities of the Red Night, are ideal places to start for anyone who is approaching Burroughs for the first time; as well as being thoroughly challenging and entertaining to the initiated. This Trilogy (li! ke much of Burroughs' work reading the 3 in sequence is not specifically required) is my personal favourite of Burroughs. I highly recommend it, but be warned: it will change the way you dream forever! R.I.P Bill. We miss you.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted and beautiful novel with wonderful descriptions, July 7, 2000

By 

"pierce_inverarity" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Place of Dead Roads: A Novel (Paperback)

This is only a little bit more coherent than Naked Lunch, but Burroughs seems to have become better at description since NL -- the descriptions of scenery, people, and everything else, are perhaps the best I've ever seen in the English language. Some people may be turned off by (or drawn by!) the graphic drug use, homosexual pedophilia, etc, but that's just a sideshow: Burroughs is a master of language and wording, and that's the big reason to read the book. This book is a must-read, even if only to see someone pushing the limits of language, writing, and imagination. See why the Beats considered Burroughs a literary mentor.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Burroughs at his Best, September 7, 2001

By 

Lee Higgs (Deerfield, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Place of Dead Roads: A Novel (Paperback)

This may be the most accessible of all of Burrough's books, and proves his brilliant command of the language. He starts with an incredibly strong novel, and then takes us on a head trip through the joys and evils of modern civilization. Remarkably coherent, considering the ground that he covers. Like a few other things, you really can't explain it - just try it and you'll see.