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Queer Book Review > TL;DR
Queer by William S. Burroughs is a slim yet haunting novella exploring unrequited love, drug-induced wanderings, and queer expatriate life in 1940s Mexico City. More restrained than Burroughs’ later works, the book focuses on William Lee’s painful, futile obsession with Eugene Allerton, a straight man whose presence both sustains and destroys him. Though lacking in grand narrative arcs, the understated prose, vivid setting, and tender, uncomfortable honesty have kept it relevant. It offers a uniquely melancholic take on queer experience, far removed from both flamboyance and tragedy tropes. Fans of Beat literature or those curious about Burroughs’ gentler side should definitely consider picking up this book.
First Thoughts
Revisiting Queer after many years felt unexpectedly revelatory. In my twenties and thirties, I’d read most of Burroughs’ work, favouring the Cities of the Red Night trilogy over the more famous Naked Lunch. Back then, it me, it felt regular – too straightforward compared to Burroughs’ usual fragmented style. But returning to it now, prompted by the recent film adaptation, I found a sensitive, poignant novella that had quietly stood the test of time.
At its core, it tells a simple story: William Lee’s futile efforts to win over Eugene Allerton. There’s little redemption in Lee – he’s more lecher than lover – yet his pain is deeply human. Beyond their entanglement, the novel captures a world of bar-lounging expats and mythical drug hunts, all wrapped in Burroughs’ audio-inflected prose. Unlike his more elaborate works, this is a tight, heartfelt book that resonated more with me now than it ever did before.
About the Book
Written between 1951 and 1953, Queer wasn’t published until 1985 due to its overt homosexual themes. Set in post-war Mexico City, the novel shadows William Lee, a middle-aged American expat, as he pursues Eugene Allerton. Their relationship is ambiguous, marked by attraction, repulsion, and unspoken desperation.
Burroughs, the godfather of the Beat Generation, is usually known for fragmented, surreal narratives like Naked Lunch. Queer, however, is remarkably restrained. Its prose is direct, its scenes vivid but controlled. It captures not just one man’s obsession but a vanished social world – gay expatriates in an analogue age.
Despite being one of Burroughs’ earlier works, Queer remained unpublished for decades. Its eventual release drew critical respect, both for its historical significance in queer literature and its unexpected tenderness. It stands today as both a personal confession and a cultural artefact, bridging underground gay experience with mainstream literary history.
What Others Think
Critical responses to the story are intriguingly divided. What about the Kennedys highlights its importance as a pioneering gay underground novel while noting its drifting, episodic structure. The focus on William Lee’s obsession with Allerton gives the book a voyeuristic quality, yet there’s little deeper examination beyond that core dynamic. While Burroughs is praised for capturing the atmosphere and time, the reviewer questions whether he stands alongside other Beat figures like Kerouac.
Joey at A Book Bore in Timbuktu dwells on Burroughs’ ability to internalise queer feelings. The reviewer emphasises how Queer expresses the quiet, awkward dance of queer-straight friendships with hidden motives. Joey reflects on social perceptions of homosexuality, suggesting that the book challenges clichés while remaining honest about the desires at play. Joey also situates the book within broader cultural contexts, such as divisions within queer identity in the Philippines, adding a unique lens to the novel’s themes.
Adam Burgess at Roof Beam Reader praises Queer for its vivid characterisation and polished prose. Burgess found William Lee’s inner journey – his yearning, jealousy, and self-deception – deeply compelling. He also noted that the book subtly hints at political undercurrents like McCarthyism and social control, forecasting themes Burroughs would explore in later works. While the novel is seen as tamer than Burroughs’ more notorious novels, its restraint is what gives it enduring power.
Themes, Style & Impact
At its heart, Queer is about longing and disconnection. William Lee’s pursuit of Allerton is not just romantic but existential – a search for validation, intimacy, and self-definition. This is framed within a specific cultural moment: the post-war American expat community in Mexico City, portrayed as a liminal space where social rules blur.
Stylistically, Queer diverges from Burroughs’ fragmented, experimental tendencies. Its prose is clean, understated, yet unmistakably his. The dialogue flows naturally, settings are crisply drawn, and each scene stands alone yet contributes to the book’s cumulative melancholy. The awkward, addled, William Lee reminded me of the paranoid main character in The Elected Member.
There’s also an unspoken political backdrop. While not overtly polemical, Queer hints at social control, exile, and identity politics – themes that would surface more explicitly in Burroughs’ later works. Reading it today feels like peering into both a lost social world and a writer’s formative creative stages. For readers accustomed to modern queer narratives with clear resolutions, the book’s unresolved, cyclical structure might feel alien. But its honesty and vulnerability give it lasting weight.
Queer by William S. Burroughs > Final Thoughts
Queer by William S. Burroughs is both a product of its time and oddly timeless. It’s neither a grand novel nor a manifesto, but something quieter: a confession, a snapshot, a yearning. While it lacks the radical experimentation of Burroughs’ later works, it stands apart precisely because of its restraint and focus.
Re-reading it reminded me how books can change as we do. What once felt unremarkable now felt resonant. I’d encourage any reader curious about Beat literature, queer history, or Burroughs’ gentler side to pick up Queer. At just over a hundred pages, it’s a quick but lingering read – one that stays with you like a half-forgotten melody.
Further Reading
- Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs – For those interested in Burroughs’ more fantastical and experimental writing.
- Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs – The infamous novel that solidified Burroughs’ literary legacy.
- On The Road by Jack Kerouac – A seminal Beat Generation work exploring freedom and identity.
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin – Another classic queer novel exploring unrequited love and societal expectations.