New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1959. First American edition. Signed by William S. Burroughs on the title-page and accompanied by a letter of provenance on Burroughs' letterhead. A Near Fine copy in Very Good+ dust jacket. Publisher's black cloth over gray paper boards. Top edge stained black. Minor toning to endpapers. First issue unclipped dust jacket without the zip code in the publisher's address on back panel. Dust jacket with some edgewear, including some crinkling and chipping to head of spine. The letter of provenance, written by Burroughs' assistant James W. Grauerholz and dated August 4, 1977, reads as follows: "I'm sure Mr. Burroughs will gladly sign your copy of N.L. He is in Colorado and will be in Central America till mid-autumn however, so there may be some delay."

William S. Burroughs’ infamous novel meanders through the absurd and perverse in an improbable, non-linear narrative. While the adventure jumps from fictional dictatorships to Mexico to space, much of the book remains inspired by Burroughs’ own drug addiction and his friendships with Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Upon its publication in Paris in 1959, The Naked Lunch was widely banned, though its literary significance was later recognized by Time magazine and the book was included in their list of the top English-language novels published from 1923 to 2005. The novel was adapted into a (nearly as infamous) surrealist film by writer-director David Cronenberg in 1991. Near Fine in Very Good + dust jacket. (Item #8059)