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37th out of 134 books
—
70 voters
The Yage Letters
The Yage Letters: an early epistolary novel by William S. Burroughs, whose 1952 account of himself as Junkie, published under the pseudonym William Lee, ended "Yage may be the final fix." In letters to Allen Ginsberg, an unknown young poet in New York, his journey to the Amazon jungle is recorded, detailing picaresque incidents of search for telepathic-hallucinogenic-mind-...more
Paperback, 72 pages
Published
January 1st 1963
by City Lights Books
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This is probably my third favourite book by William S. Burroughs after 'Junky' and 'Cities of the Red Night'.
This book is not only a first-hand account of his experiences taking the South American drug 'yage' (through the Putumayo Kofan and Vauges methods), but it also showcases Burroughs’ dry, tongue-in-cheek, ‘scientific’ humour. One of my favourite parts which really made me laugh and which is still very relevant in today’s society was, “You can not contact a civil servant on the level of int...more
This book is not only a first-hand account of his experiences taking the South American drug 'yage' (through the Putumayo Kofan and Vauges methods), but it also showcases Burroughs’ dry, tongue-in-cheek, ‘scientific’ humour. One of my favourite parts which really made me laugh and which is still very relevant in today’s society was, “You can not contact a civil servant on the level of int...more
Dear Al,
I'm detoxing. I can't find any little boys to pay for sex. Corruption, whine whine whine. Third world, whine whine whine.
Low points: Cultural observation skips along the path to racism. Whining. Craptacular "routine" play thing, possibly more enjoyable if one knows about the politics of the time, possibly not. Disgusted tone gets me down.
Highlights: Good writing. Good cultural observations. Stubborn scientific approach to looking to score. Bad trips. A freakout at the end. Epistolary. Wo...more
I'm detoxing. I can't find any little boys to pay for sex. Corruption, whine whine whine. Third world, whine whine whine.
Low points: Cultural observation skips along the path to racism. Whining. Craptacular "routine" play thing, possibly more enjoyable if one knows about the politics of the time, possibly not. Disgusted tone gets me down.
Highlights: Good writing. Good cultural observations. Stubborn scientific approach to looking to score. Bad trips. A freakout at the end. Epistolary. Wo...more
I think Burroughs is an amazing writer. His abilities are often overshadowed by the events of his life, the culture he was inadvertently a part of, and the writing techniques he developed (specifically, the cut-up method employed in the Nova Trilogy). Many readers, myself included, have trouble with Burroughs' writings because they seem to lack traditional structure (excluding the later Red Night trilogy). It's difficult to summarize Naked Lunch in any coherent way, though many of the "routines"...more
I spent my teenage years trailing through Naked Lunch, Junkie, and I later devoured Word Virus: A Burroughs Reader. I loved and continue to love those particular works.
I remember reading The Yage Letters for the first time (2002?) and finding it engaging, but upon my second recent reading I am struck with major concerns: 1) Burroughs' effed up characterizations of indigenous peoples; 2) Burroughs participation in what we now call "sex tourism" and the many issues of privilege and dominance that...more
I remember reading The Yage Letters for the first time (2002?) and finding it engaging, but upon my second recent reading I am struck with major concerns: 1) Burroughs' effed up characterizations of indigenous peoples; 2) Burroughs participation in what we now call "sex tourism" and the many issues of privilege and dominance that...more
3 likes · like · see review
i borrowed this from a friend in a great pile of books given to me, and to be completely honest, i probably would not have read it had i not been in the mood for a quick read.
i've never been much of a fan of burroughs' writing style, but the fact that the bulk of the book is in the form of him writing letters to ginsberg makes it much easier to bear.
i didn't care much for his overall quest for yage in the letters, but rather found enjoyment in his personal descriptions of 1950s south america. he...more
i've never been much of a fan of burroughs' writing style, but the fact that the bulk of the book is in the form of him writing letters to ginsberg makes it much easier to bear.
i didn't care much for his overall quest for yage in the letters, but rather found enjoyment in his personal descriptions of 1950s south america. he...more
Pretty much anyone interested in countercultural tourism, psychedelia or just good old-fashioned misanthropy can find something valuable in Uncle Bill's well-worn travel case. Ostensibly written as a series of letters to Allen Ginsberg back in the States while Burroughs was looking for a possible cure for his nasty junk habit, The Yage Letters forges the link between the pulp-fiction writer William Lee and the postmodern impressionist who crafted Naked Lunch. It appears that while yage could not...more
Le pusé una estrella por que es lo minimo que la página permite.. un libro epistolar donde un señor habla todo el tiempo sobre las iniciativas cleptomaniacas de los prostitutos que contrata,la fealdad de los muchachos que alcanza a ver desde las ventanas de los buses en los que monta, lo espantosos que son los países que visita y por ahí al final del libro menciona el yage. Un libro que parece editado no más por explotar el beneficio economico que representa el uso del apellido de Burroughs y la...more
3 likes · like · see review
Jul 29, 2008
W.L.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who find god in herbal remedies and like young boys, or people who enjoy a good letter
Recommended to W.L. by:
Paul Grimsley
Shelves:
diaries-journals-letters,
non-fiction
This book was interesting in that it showed truly how far a man will go to get high, and how much he'll allow to be done to him when he's drunk and horny.
There are no real revelations here, and nothing to be learned, but as letters go, it hit the mark.
There were some points where Burroughs just rambles off into a reminiscent story while in the middle of writing letters to Ginsberg that are pretty cool. I like reading people's letters.
You can see though, the master/apprentice relationship betwe...more
There are no real revelations here, and nothing to be learned, but as letters go, it hit the mark.
There were some points where Burroughs just rambles off into a reminiscent story while in the middle of writing letters to Ginsberg that are pretty cool. I like reading people's letters.
You can see though, the master/apprentice relationship betwe...more
Definitely one of the more interesting books I've read lately. In a nutshell, the book is a composition of letters written by William S. Burroughs to Allen Ginsberg during his trek to the South American Amazon River Basin in search of a rare hallucinogenic drug, yage, which is used by the indiginous indian doctors to find lost objects, primarly bodies and souls.
It takes him a while to score some of the stuff, but as he progresses, he speaks about the peoples of all the countries and cities he...more
It takes him a while to score some of the stuff, but as he progresses, he speaks about the peoples of all the countries and cities he...more
A mixed bag. Burroughs isn't famed for linearity, but his mostly straightforward accounts of his travels, making up the bulk of the work, were by far the most interesting. The cut-up bits at the end (including Ginsberg's contributions) were far murkier, and "Roosevelt After Inauguration" - excised from the original publication on grounds of obscenity - is soundly disappointing, being lazy and lowbrow and banal. Not bad overall, but perhaps only for Beat devotees.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of letters.
Burroughs descriptions of panama were articulated in a very thought provocative style-which i admired.
I do wish though that Burroughs would have went more in depth on his descriptions of the ayahuasca experiences like Ginsberg did later in the piece.
Nevertheless, it's a must read for any individual interested in the historic beginnings of psychedelic use/ culture in the west.
Burroughs descriptions of panama were articulated in a very thought provocative style-which i admired.
I do wish though that Burroughs would have went more in depth on his descriptions of the ayahuasca experiences like Ginsberg did later in the piece.
Nevertheless, it's a must read for any individual interested in the historic beginnings of psychedelic use/ culture in the west.
I read this short novelette when I was 18 going on 19 & I remember being really excited about it. I think his work in general appeals to teens who haven't experienced really anything of life, adults who've fallen to the dark side or who live on the fringes of society, and Beat Generation materials collectors.
One of the interesting thing about reading Burroughs’ letters is seeing the DNA of his novels / routines. It’s like watching alchemy. Also interesting is the difference between Burroughs and Ginsberg in their experiences with Yage, seeing how much more spiritual Ginsberg’s experience was. The Junkie versus the Poet, if you will.
Outstanding, made me find my love for Alan Ginsberg again, the Burroughs insight while valuable to society at the time reveals more about Burroughs as a suffering character than about the Yage he discusses. This book includes some of my favorite Ginsberg quotes ever.
"Meh" is pretty much all I thought about this. White junkie dude traipses through the Amazon and whines about it a whole bunch and is pretty much a jerk to everyone he meets. Whatever. (The Ginsberg part at the end was ok, though.)
I find Burroughs to be a difficult read. I like listening to his writings and I love the Beatnik movement, but reading his writing is very abstract for me. I may need to be under the influence to get his writing.
A little book that have me the sign off Burroughs used in all his letters to Alan Ginsberg. He finished each one with "as ever, Bill". I loved that 30 years ago and borrowed it ever since.
William Burroughs was way ahead of his time. Great read. How did he do it? Nice preface or forward by Ginsberg who also partook of the 'vine of the dead' Bought my copy used at Germ Bookstore.
An interesting look at the personal letters between two of the leaders of the "Beat" movement. One thing I found interesting was Burroughs urging Ginsburg to try the cut and paste method.
Apr 11, 2008
Andrew
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Wanderers
Recommended to Andrew by:
Dan van
Unreal.
literally.
Burroughs writing to his crush (ginsberg) re: his search for Yage. (Burroughs intentionally left out the accent in 'yage'-this synonym for ayuhasca is to be pronounced in a manner rhyming with "hay".) WSB travels paths taken by Che a year earlier, noted in "The Motorcycle Diaries". On finding the samanistic plant, his writing changes noticably.
Ginsberg writes back seven years later when he follows Burroughs' trail.
Two more exchanges make for some of the most refined work you wil...more
literally.
Burroughs writing to his crush (ginsberg) re: his search for Yage. (Burroughs intentionally left out the accent in 'yage'-this synonym for ayuhasca is to be pronounced in a manner rhyming with "hay".) WSB travels paths taken by Che a year earlier, noted in "The Motorcycle Diaries". On finding the samanistic plant, his writing changes noticably.
Ginsberg writes back seven years later when he follows Burroughs' trail.
Two more exchanges make for some of the most refined work you wil...more
This is a great compilation of letters between Alan Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Burroughs recounts some of his experiences with travel in the amazon, and ayahuasca.
I loved the correspondence between William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. After reading their letters to one another, I wanted to go to the Amazon myself and try some yage.
A nice look at international correspondence between Burroughs and Ginsberg in the early to mid '50s. The bulk of this writing would provide the story for Burroughs' book Queer.
I like the letters more than Queer, which reads as a little whiny and desperate. The letters give a great perspective not only of travel in the '50s through South America, but Burroughs' personality and actions as well.
Great read, good for anybody who is interested in the past if Burroughs especially, but also Ginsberg (...more
I like the letters more than Queer, which reads as a little whiny and desperate. The letters give a great perspective not only of travel in the '50s through South America, but Burroughs' personality and actions as well.
Great read, good for anybody who is interested in the past if Burroughs especially, but also Ginsberg (...more
Jul 31, 2011
Cynmo
added it
Bill goes to the jungle and alternately hunts Yage experiences and tricks with uncouth overexperienced native boys, one of whom steals his underpants.
Burroughs correspondence with Ginsberg while he was in the Amazon searching for Yage...or ayahuasca.
Letters from Burroughs to Ginsburg. I simply can't read enough by the beats, about the beats stc.
I liked the idea of an epic quest for hallucinogenics in South America. I liked the idea of reading the correspondence between two eccentric kooks.
I have never enjoyed the epistolary format though, so maybe this is what prevented me from enjoying this book. or maybe I just found the quest boring and unsatisfying after all. I supposed I wanted more chaos to ensue a la Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
I have never enjoyed the epistolary format though, so maybe this is what prevented me from enjoying this book. or maybe I just found the quest boring and unsatisfying after all. I supposed I wanted more chaos to ensue a la Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
The next in line after Queer that usually gets overlooked and not talked about, Yage Letters.
I didn't really like this as well, you can tell that they were trying to keep the back and forth letter format in the writing style, and that is kind of annoying. I feel like if they had converted it from the letters into a normal narrative like Queer it would have been much much better.
The five stars is just a testament to how much I love Burroughs work. This is easily skippable, and will probably only...more
I didn't really like this as well, you can tell that they were trying to keep the back and forth letter format in the writing style, and that is kind of annoying. I feel like if they had converted it from the letters into a normal narrative like Queer it would have been much much better.
The five stars is just a testament to how much I love Burroughs work. This is easily skippable, and will probably only...more
alternative literature for alternative people
Short little thing I've read maybe 20 times.
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William Seward Burroughs Jnr. always looked like the straight man among the Beat Generation, but his writing - violent, satirical, scatological, pornographic - makes the others look tame.
Burroughs was born into middle-class respectability and after studying English at Harvard and medicine in Vienna, trained as a glider pilot with the American military but was discharged as unfit for service in 194...more
More about William S. Burroughs...
Burroughs was born into middle-class respectability and after studying English at Harvard and medicine in Vienna, trained as a glider pilot with the American military but was discharged as unfit for service in 194...more
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Jan 10, 2012 08:35pm