Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs

by William S. Burroughs

Book Overview

Laid out as diary entries of the last nine months of Burroughs's life, Last Words spans the realms of cultural criticism, personal memoir, and fiction. Classic Burroughs concerns--literature, U.S. drug policy, the state of humanity, his love for his cats--permeate this poignant portrait of the man, his life, and the creative process.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802137784
• ISBN13: 9780802137784
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

The diary of a genius.

This diary of a genius in his last weary days is a beautiful gift. An explosively brilliant visionary with insight reaching far into the future, but also a kind man who loved his cats.

Listening To His Last Words

This was a very welcome addition to my library. I wouldn't say that it provides a capstone to his works, it's not that kind of greatness, but it did leave me feeling closer to the man...and that's really what I was seeking. Seeing inside the process, as well as getting a feel for the pulse of his last days were both accomplished very well by the book. I'll read it again, and again, whenever one of his novels awes me and I need to revisit the human who created such superhuman texts.

A nice tribute.

This book offers a nice tribute to William S. Burroughs, who was one of the most important figures of twentieth century literature. His most famous book is probably Naked Lunch which is a satire written in a series of routines. But whether you begin with Junkie, Naked Lunch or any of the others he was a man who spoke the TRUTH with a compassion and insight achieved by few others as to the state of the modern age. His words are designed to infiltrate the mind, fight the virus with itself, searching out and consuming attitudes of control impregnated by the biologic and social programming of our lives.

his last words any world

A wonderful text. Much of Burroughs carries a sadness, but nothing like this. These are the words of a little old man. His friends are dying, his cats are dying, and he knows his own end is imminent. Even his rants against the drug war and other stupidities seem tired, like he was simply rousing his energies toward old enemies to delay his own demise. Saddest of all was knowing how it would end.

FINAL WORDS OF THE BURROUGHS CANON

Thanks to James Grauerholz for this final goodbye from one of the 20th centuries most influential authors, (even if polite society won't admit it). FINAL WORDS will appeal to the Burroughs collector/afficianado as you will see the Grand Old Man return again and again in his final writings to themes that appear in his other works. Also, his commentary on current events and personalities, (Clinton, Timothy McVeigh, his fears of a growing world police state), make this book a must for the Burroughs fan. Particularly touching is how jarred Burroughs was by Allen Ginsberg's death. Burrough's remained true to his ideas/ideals to the very end, even if only at the end realizing the importance of love. From the entry for January 17, 1997: "What then is the meaning of respect? When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man. No one is perfect. No, but by the flaws in the picture the truth will emerge."