You Can't Win
 

You Can't Win

by Jack Black

The favorite book of William Burroughs. A journey into the hobo underworld, freight hopping around the still Wild West, becoming a highwayman and member of the yegg (criminal) brotherhood, getting hooked on opium, doing stints in jail or escaping, often with the assistance of crooked cops or judges. Our lost history revived.. With an introduction by Burroughs. A BookSense 77 selection.
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Top tags: autobiographybeat (all tags)

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stella  d
  • Rated 4 stars

this is a great memoir of a criminal's life in late 19th-early 20th century america. full of fascinating characters and a big influence on writers of the beat generation, it's early underworld history you probably can't find anywhere else.

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Community:
  • Rated 4.368421 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.625 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • kaumy

    kaumy said:

    perhaps, but not in an offensive way or a way that distracts me from appreciating his story. he begins the story afterall as a librarian. and he finishes the story with nothing but memories.

    he won me over in the first few pages. i liked his style. one of the few books i have bought, in recent years, brand new because i couldn't find it used. i intend to keep and read again.

    posted Thursday, May 31 2007
  • ChestertonsGhost

    chestertonsghost said:

    Do you feel this book romanticized the life of crime?

    This book pre-dates Kerouac and the Beat movement, but there are many elements that seem to trailblaze the "beat life on the road" theme. Black seems an unsympathetic character at times because he seems to have "chosen" the life of the deviant or social outcast. What do you think?

    posted Monday, March 5 2007
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