I was reading about William Burroughs today, and the work he's done in
literature. Burroughs is a rather famous author, perhaps best known for his
surrealistic novel "Naked Lunch". I was trying to figure out what the novel
is about, but I was having trouble getting much information beyond that it's
a book about a drug addict, and the book follows this addict's hallucinations
throughout his drug trips.
  I went to read some online reviews of this book, and was struck by the
praise people had for it. They called it a brilliant book; They said it was
incredibly entertaining; They said it had some important lessons inside it;
They called Burroughs the greatest author of the 20th century because of this
book.
  And yet there was very little about the actual content of the book. Nobody
explained why they liked it, other than to say it was excellent. Nobody
really seemed to delve into the plot. Indeed, a great many people (most of
them) admitted they could not really understand the book. However, the
general consensus was that they enjoyed it anyway, and it should be read by
everyone.
  Here is shown a strange contradiction. People say that "Naked Lunch" should
be read by everyone, because it has a deep meaning for everyone. Yet they
later admit they have no idea what the book even meant.
  If the people could not understand the book, apparently they must have
found some other reason to believe that it meant something. Did they assume
that the book must have a point, because otherwise why would anyone write it?
Did they figure that because they couldn't understand, the meaning of the
book was beyond their understanding?
  It's hard to say. But it should be noted that one person actually
commented: "Burroughs was pointing out just how ignorant and hypocritcial
society of his time (and of our time too) was, and writing about Mugwumps
secreting juices out of their penises was a sure fire way to do this."
  If there's one thing all the reviewers agreed upon, it's that the book was
bizarre. It uses strange imagery and surreal creatures to weave its tale.
Here is an example of something strange from the book, and a person making
what seems to me to be an illogical conclusion: How do the penile secretions
of Mugwumps (whatever those are) form a commentary on social ignorance and
hypocrisy? I am not sure if this reviewer was joking or serious, but the very
idea that they actually thought what they were saying made sense is a scary
one.
  It seems that people like what they do not understand. Strange, unreal
nonsense pleases them, perhaps because it is more interesting than real life.
After some study of science-fiction fans, it seems to me that these people
like strange books because they take them away from the real world, to a
place where things don't *have* to make sense, where madness is routine, and
where nothing is boring.
  Escapism, in other words.
  This is not a bash of Mr. Burroughs or his fine book, nor is it meant to
denounce science-fiction as a genre. But when people enjoy reading complete
nonsense because it takes them away from the real world, doesn't that seem
dangerous? Little wonder so many people fascinated with outer space and other
worlds seem to have a weak hold on reality.
  I may have a wrong picture of the whole scene, of course. I would be
interested in learning more about people who enjoy surreal literature, and
how it relates to reality, if at all. I would very much like to know what
lessons can be learned from Mugwumpain penis secretions. But having seen
none, even from the very people who say there are, one must conclude that it
is being strange for strange's sake.
  It also seems that people mistake blatant surrealism for relevance. If
something makes no sense whatsoever, but passes itself off as deep and
meaningful, people seem to have a tendency to see it for what it tries to
look like. "I don't understand it, but it sounds like it's important." And
so, not knowing what they're talking about, they cherish it as brilliance
beyond their comprehension.
  What this all means, of course, is that if you stand on one foot on a rainy
day, while you are being eaten by a lion, you will make a lot of money. And I
am a very brilliant writer for saying that.