Book that made me think: [Naked Lunch] by William S. Burroughs

I read it when I was seventeen and it altered my view of writing forever. At first I was going to start itemizing exactly how this book influenced me but realized that it would take more than a posting to do so because of all the different directions it sent me. I guess the phrase, "Nothing is true, everything is permitted", that Burroughs had borrowed from Hassan I Sabbah, would be the best way to describe the effect Naked Lunch had on me. There were many books to follow, but this was the first to open my mind to the limitless possibilities found in writing. Les Chants de Maldoror was another that same year.

I have chosen Naked Lunch as part of my 888 challenge and look forward to reading it. I hope I have as good an experience reading it as you did!

Let me know how it goes...

i just finished Naked Lunch a few minutes ago, but i dont know what to tell you. it was like drifting in and out of hell, parts of it just went way over my head and when i thought i had a grip on it i lost it just as quick. in short i enjoyed it but it's a book that i'll have to read again (not 4 a few days though). you might be interested in the edition i read which is labled "the Restored Text" it had a arseload of extra material and a short intro by Ballard