Naked Lunch has become one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, ever since its publication. It portrays American culture and the aim of the writer is to portray what is real and in practice. The book makes people shudder at their own hypocritical behaviour and their own lies. It induces people to change their attitudes and be straight to one another, leaving aside all falsehood. Burroughs is one of the greatest writers and in this novel he has blown up the false show and cosy conspiracy of the society and depicted the truth of life and human ways.
Naked Lunch was first published in Paris in 1959. It exerted great influence on the relationship of art and obscenity. This volume contains the final draft typescripts, the writer’s unpublished contemporaneous writings, his later introductions to the book and his essay on psychoactive drugs which give readers a fresh experience of a novel with a satirical touch.