So begins cains book, alexander trocchis incredible novel of existential dread. There is considerable division over which trocchi book is his best, but the consensus of opinion is either young adam 1954 or cain s book 1961. Jan 19, 2012 this will give a context for the three different examples of trocchis writing that ill go on to introduce. Cains book is trocchis selfreflexive look at his life as a junky. Martyn wade, chief executive and national librarian introduces cain s book by scottish beat generation writer alexander trocchi s and looks at some of the reasons why it was banned on.
Alexander trocchi 19251984 was a scottish author, publisher and activist. A roman a clef, it details the life of joe necchi, a heroin addict and writer, who is living and working on a scow on the hudson river in new york. The jury is still out on whether young adam or cains book is trocchis greatest work, but regardless the former remains the best introduction to his writing because it is so much more typical of his protopostmodernist approach. Cains book is the first novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. Grove press cains book is a 1960 novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. If the experience of heroin, of the fix, is central to cains book, both its destructive force and the possibilities it holds for creativity are recognized and accepted without apology. Alexander trocchi 192584 was a controversial scottish novelist of the beat generation. The back of my copy has a blurb that says all the egomaniac vitality of the early henry miller, but miller was far more joyous and trocchi a straight and narrow nihilist. Cains book kindle edition by alexander trocchi, greil. It is an ambiguous and twisted immorality tale of sex and death, and it has aptly been described as sexistential.
Trocchi was born in scotland in 1925, and he read english and philosophy at glasgow university. Spatial subversion in alexander trocchi s young adam and cain s book. This time is chronicled in the novel cains book, which at the time became. It was at this time too that trocchi wrote cains book telling of his sexual.
It is the trocchi who describes himself in that novel. Bookmark file pdf cains book alexander trocchi cains book alexander trocchi alexander trocchi. His early novel young adam was adapted into a film starring ewan mcgregor and tilda swinton in 2003 after several years of wrangling over finance. Alexander trocchi 19251984 was a scottish novelist whose numerous works include cains book. Young adam tends to catch the attention of those less interested in drugs and literary experimentation. Jan 23, 2009 the jury is still out on whether young adam or cains book is trocchis greatest work, but regardless the former remains the best introduction to his writing because it is so much more typical of his protopostmodernist approach. So begins cains book, alexander trocchi s incredible novel of existential dread. Rubric and cast interviews for release of 2003 film version of young adam. His early novel young adam 1954 was adapted into a film starring ewan mcgregor and tilda.
It was highly influential, led to the reprinting of his novels and. Alexander trocchi, the author of cains book and young adam, was born in glasgow, scotland, in 1925. Banned books part 2 cain s book by alexander trocchi martyn wade, chief executive and national. In paris, he founded merlin the outstanding literary magazine wrote novels for olympia press, experimented with heroin and became hooked. Mean streets alexander trocchi was the smackaddled icon of beat literature, whose writings have been eclipsed by a lurid life of porn, pimping. Written in america while trocchi was working on a scow on the hudson river, cains book is an extraordinary autobiographical account about a junkys life, and. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Cain s film 1969 documentary on alexander trocchi 1925 84, scottish born writer, poet, translator and author of young adam and cain s. Shop amongst our popular books, including, cain s book, young adam and more from alexander trocchi.
Cain s book first published in us by grove atlantic. Feb 01, 2011 documentary on alexander trocchi 1925 84, scottish born writer, poet, translator and author of young adam and cain s book. Young adam, its predecessor, is better known, but the latter is the scottish beats classic. Trocchi was then deep in the thralls of heroin addiction. His wife lyn prostituted herself on the streets of the lower east side. Alexander whitelaw robertson trocchi was a scottish novelist. It provides the police with something to do, and as junkies and potheads are relatively easy to apprehend because they have to take so many chances to get hold of their drugs, a heroic police can make spectacular arrests, lawyers can do a brisk business, judges can make speeches, the big pedlars can make a fortune, the tabloids can sell millions of copies. Cains book, alexander trocchis drugrelated mastercrime, is a novel to give to minors, a book to corrupt young people. Much like young adam, cains book avoids any conventional narrative. He injected himself on camera during a live television debate on drug abuse, despite being on bail at the time. See all books authored by alexander trocchi, including cains book, and young adam, and more on thriftbooks.
The obvious book to compare this one to is william burroughs naked lunch. Alexander trocchi, the author of cains book and young adam, was born in glasgow, scotland, in during the s and s he lived mainly in paris. The junky genius of alexander trocchi books the guardian. Alexander trocchis pages drift past, monotonous and stark and radiant. Cain s book is the first novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. Trocchi was then deep in the throes of heroin addiction. Documentary on alexander trocchi 1925 84, scottish born writer, poet, translator and author of young adam and cains book. Mar 14, 2017 alexander trocchi 19251984 was a scottish novelist whose numerous works include cains book. Aug 23, 2007 so begins cain s book, alexander trocchi s incredible novel of existential dread.
He resided mainly in paris and new york throughout his life. Alexander trocchi in conversation with allen ginsburg. Trocchi and his friends also published samuel becketts war and memory and jean genets thiefs journal in english for the first time. He died in 1984 from pneumonia, brought on by an operation for lung cancer. Cains book is a 1960 novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. The introductions for my copy, by greil marcus and richard seaver, are two of the most dismissive, pessimistic book intros ive read. This is the journal of joe necchi, a junkie living on a barge that plie. While many detractors complain that nothing actually happens in cains book, this is precisely where its strength lies. Mar 28, 2020 so begins cains book, alexander trocchis incredible novel of existential dread. This new edition of the criticallyacclaimed biography of alexander trocchi has been revised, extended and updated since its first publication in 1991 when it helped to create new interest in the celebrated and notorious author of young adam and cain s book.
They both read as lamentations of what could have been, what trocchi could have written. Alexander trocchi 192584 left glasgow university with the honours of a brilliant philosophy scholar. Under the name frances lengel, trocchi churned out numerous pornographic books including the now classic helen and desire 1954 and a dirty version of his own book young adam 1954. Cain s book is trocchi s selfreflexive look at his life as a junky. Cains book by alexander trocchi book cover, description, publication history. Trocchis final and most feted work apart from the oddsandends poetry shambles, man at leisure, also republished by alma classics, is a fragmented and not entirely unpretentious novelofsorts that seems to be more of a deeply psychological exploration of the authors uncompromising outsiders worldview than any sort of seminal drug novel as labelled by most, including burroughs. Trocchi s later life in london was spent as an antique book dealer, and he concentrated on family life.
Cain s book gets 4 stars from me now these days the philosophical rants and wraiths are too neither here nor there for me these days. Alma classics ltd london house 243253 lower mortlake road richmond surrey tw9 2ll united kingdom. Alexander trocchi download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Spatial subversion in alexander trocchis young adam.
Author alexander trocchis muse was drugsbut in this novel, he does not romanticize the source of his inspiration. Aug 08, 2003 mean streets alexander trocchi was the smackaddled icon of beat literature, whose writings have been eclipsed by a lurid life of porn, pimping and dissolution in new york, paris and london. Aug 04, 2014 foreword to cains book by alexander trocchi 1993 alexander trocchi was a legendary figure in his lifetime. Cains book by alexander trocchi nook book ebook barnes. Tasker g 2014 spatial subversion in alexander trocchi s young adam and cain s book. So begins cain s book, alexander trocchi s incredible novel of existential dread. Trocchi was born in glasgow in 1925 to an italian father. He was an editor of the literary journal merlin, which published works by eugene ionesco, samuel beckett, jeanpaul sartre, and others. Enhancing the wellbeing of children and families through effective interventions.
Hos adlibris hittar du miljontals bocker och produkter inom alexander trocchi vi har ett brett sortiment av bocker, garn, leksaker, pyssel, sallskapsspel, dekoration och mycket mer for en inspirerande vardag. Bereft of the usual ripples, furrows and climaxes that pepper the kind of generic fiction so pervasive today, trocchis novel is content to explore the. Trocchis final and most feted work apart from the oddsandends poetry shambles, man at leisure, a. He was seen as a man of towering literary genius, fated to cut a swath through the world. Oct 02, 2019 so begins cains book, alexander trocchis incredible novel of existential dread. Invisible insurrection of a million minds by alexander trocchi. Aug 28, 2019 so begins cains book, alexander trocchis incredible novel of existential dread. Documentary on alexander trocchi 1925 84, scottish born writer, poet, translator and author of young adam and cain s book. During the 1950s and 1960s he lived mainly in paris and new york and gained fame as one of the most talented writers, in both prose and poetry, of the period. A heroin addict, he is best known for cain s book, an autobiographical account of his sexual misadventures and drug abuse whilst living in new york.
Dec, 2011 martyn wade, chief executive and national librarian introduces cain s book by scottish beat generation writer alexander trocchi s and looks at some of the reasons why it was banned on. Banned books part 2 cains book by alexander trocchi youtube. Cains book trocchi, alexander, seaver, richard, marcus, greil on. Trocchi began writing poetry and prose in the late 1940s, and by the early 1950s was an established member of the artistic avantgarde. I was wearing my heavy white seamans jersey with a high polo neck, and i sensed that the angularity of my. Young adam, its predecessor, is better known, but the latter is.
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