Guilty of Everything: The Autobiography of Herbert Huncke (Hardcover)

by Herbert Huncke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Guilty of inducing boredom as well, this sordid, ill-written memoir by a retired thief and ex-addict adds little to one's knowledge of Burroughs, Ginsberg, Kerouac and the post-World War II drug scene. Typical of Huncke's remarks are that his father was a "miserable bastard," his mother "had a pair of legs on her that were really something, and she knew how to conduct herself," and that when he smelled an onion field he "first realized that there was something beyond all our petty personal quarrels and arguments." Variously a ship's cook and deckhand, Huncke preferred burglary, thievery, street beggary, acting as a shill for pickpockets, getting paid $10 by Kinsey to talk about his sexual experiences. Now on methadone, he preaches against the use of drugs and alcohol. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Drug addict, thief, and writer ( The Evening Sun Turned Crimson ), Huncke figures prominently in the legend of the Beat Generation; he appears as a character in several Beat works, including Jack Kerouac's On The Road, William Burroughs's Junkie, and John Clellon Holmes's Go. Here, in an easy, conversational style, Huncke recounts his life as an addict, his prison experiences, and his friendships with Burroughs, Ginsberg, and others. His memoir includes interesting views of Times Square and the East Village and documents the changing New York City drug scene since the 1940s. Huncke is a natural storyteller. His account of his life is sincere and authentic, unmarred by apology or sentimentalism. An important literary and sociological document, Guilty of Everything belongs in all research-level collections and would be a fine addition to many public library collections.
- William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 210 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House Publishers; 1st edition (May 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557780447
• ISBN-13: 978-1557780447
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,028,090 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For The Record, October 8, 2001

By A Customer

Here's a little something about Guilty of Everything, the autobiography of the legendary Herbert E. Huncke ... . The full manuscript of Guilty of Everthing kicked about for 2 decades. It was once known as his "confessions." Raymond Foye of Hanuman Books published this first installment of Guilty in 1987 with the assistance of co-publisher Francesco Clemente in a small run, a now scarce edition. In 1988 Huncke met young Paragon House editor Don Kennison in New York City who took on the manuscript and into it breathed new life, preparing and shaping it with Mr. Huncke into the 1990 publication by Paragon. This event secured Herbert Huncke's place in the Beat bibliography and brought him steady fame in the last years of his life. Although this remarkable book had a brief success and two hardcover printings, it never made paperback and is now out-of-print. There are slight text variations from the excerpt done by Hanuman, so both editions are absolutely essential for both collector and reader.