the naked lunch, w.s.burroughs

[raquel]

I'm a spanish student of literature and I'm reading "the naked lunch" (in Spanish, of course!). It's so difficult for me, in fact, I don't know so much about burroughs and the Beat generation.
The truth is that I can't understand the real sense of this book.
It seems so different of "On the road"!

Can you help me?
Muchas gracias, and Sorry by my very poor English!

[papayahed]

We discussed it previously in this post:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12511

I've tried to read the book at least 3 times and still can't make heads or tails.

[raquel]

Thanks, that has been of great aid for me! Although to read your interventions has been almost as difficult as to read the naked lunch! (my english is horrible!)

This morning, after work, completely nervous by the novel, I have gone to a pub and I've take 2 beers... I've begun to understand something then!!

Nevertheless, I don't know certainly what endures more: my liver (?) or me, reading burroughs!
Thanks again

[Jack_Aubrey]

That thread only makes me angry. And not at the book.

[PeterL]

This morning, after work, completely nervous by the novel, I have gone to a pub and I've take 2 beers... I've begun to understand something then!!

Nevertheless, I don't know certainly what endures more: my liver (?) or me, reading burroughs!
Thanks again

That may mean that Burroughs communicated an atmosphere rather than a theme.

[Cartier789]

naked lunch is much more than drugged up ramblings, its a satire of societys obsession with power and control and of the government. the fantasy worlds government parties- liquefactionists, divisionists, senders, they're all parodys of something in our world like totalitarianism, dictatorship, racism,even homosexuality. the power is expressed through the doctors and the 'human virus'. ADDICTION is a HUGE part of it--humans addiction to power, and drugs. that is why it is an important piece of literature from the 20th century.