Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful picture of life and death
Review: This is definitely Burroughs's most powerful book since Naked Lunch, and perhaps my favorite after that. It's a wonderful journey through the lands of the dead, and offers a few clues into Burroughs' personal beliefs on the subject and how he feels death should be approached and life to be lived. Definitely read the first two novels in the trilogy first, though. Burroughs' books have always been less about narrative and more about painting a picture. This is a beautiful picture.
Rating:
Summary: The West Is The Best.
Review: While William S. Burroughs never makes it clear specifically where or what "The Western Lands" are, what is clear is his hellish vision of the journey there. He relates to us that "All the filth and horror, fear, hate disease and death of human history flows between you and the Western Lands." Utilizing ancient Egyptian and pseudo-Egyptian religious rituals and philosophy, Burroughs relentlessly describe scenes of disease, poisonings, impalings, decapitations and general mayhem and destruction while on the excursion to the promised lands. Religion is lampooned relentlessly by Burroughs as a force of intolerence and evil. A sizable section of the book is devoted to the maschinations of the dreaded centipede. All anyone would ever want to know (or not want to know) about this peculiar arthropod is here. A certain type of corn, enriched by the blue rays of the moon and then harvested and eaten by sizable populations, causes unimagable and extremely unappetizing physical reactions. Yet there is a certain beauty and poetry in Burroughs' horrific imagery, which, I believe, achieves a level of art. "The Western Lands" is THE latter 20th century version of "Dante's Inferno." The old writer mentioned in the beginning and in the end of the book and who lives in a boxcar by the river may, perhaps, be William S. Burroughs himself. Those somewhat familiar with Burroughs' life are aware of his drug addictions and that he probably went through many of the horrific experiences described in the book. The journeyings to the "Western Lands" may have been his intense struggles towards recovery and sobriety. His classic, "Naked Lunch," describes Burroughs' reveries while coming off heroin addiction in a rehab clinic. Incredible as it may seem, Burroughs theme is ultimately positive. He tells us that one has cannot see heaven, and achieve redemption, unless one has constantly faced death, intense fear, and has literally lived through Hell.
Rating:
Summary: Burroughs' Inferno
Review: While William S. Burroughs never makes it clear specifically where or what "The Western Lands" are, what is clear is his hellish vision of the journey there. He relates to us that "All the filth and horror, fear, hate disease and death of human history flows between you and the Western Lands." Utilizing ancient Egyptian and pseudo-Egyptian religious rituals and philosophy, Burroughs relentlessly describe scenes of disease, poisonings, impalings, decapitations and general mayhem and destruction while on the excursion to the promised lands. Religion is lampooned relentlessly by Burroughs as a force of intolerence and evil. A sizable section of the book is devoted to the maschinations of the dreaded centipede. All anyone would ever want to know (or not want to know) about this peculiar arthropod is here. A certain type of corn, enriched by the blue rays of the moon and then harvested and eaten by sizable populations, causes unimagable and extremely unappetizing physical reactions. Yet there is a certain beauty and poetry in Burroughs' horrific imagery, which, I believe, achieves a level of art. "The Western Lands" is THE latter 20th century version of "Dante's Inferno." The old writer mentioned in the beginning and in the end of the book and who lives in a boxcar by the river may, perhaps, be William S. Burroughs himself. Those somewhat familiar with Burroughs' life are aware of his drug addictions and that he probably went through many of the horrific experiences described in the book. The journeyings to the "Western Lands" may have been his intense struggles towards recovery and sobriety. His classic, "Naked Lunch," describes Burroughs' reveries while coming off heroin addiction in a rehab clinic. Incredible as it may seem, Burroughs theme is ultimately positive. He tells us that one has cannot see heaven, and achieve redemption, unless one has constantly faced death, intense fear, and has literally lived through Hell.
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