But unlike his literary predecessors, in his roman a clef, trocchi never romanticizes the source of his inspiration. Cain s book is the first novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. In paris, he founded merlin the outstanding literary magazine wrote novels for olympia press, experimented with heroin and became hooked. Young adam, its predecessor, is better known, but the latter is the scottish beats classic. 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. But trocchi was an independent writer of immense gifts and cains book, rather than being a downbeat, depressing look at a sordid subject, is quite the reverse. Alexander trocchi was a prolific writer of novels and essays, of porn for the olympia press in paris, a magazine editor and bookseller, and one of the few scottish writers who wrote in the beat tradition of the 1950s and 60s. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Click to read more about cain s book by alexander trocchi.
Aug 23, 2007 so begins cain s book, alexander trocchi s incredible novel of existential dread. Banned books part 2 cains book by alexander trocchi martyn wade, chief executive and national librarian introduces cains book by scottish beat. Buy cain s book new edition by trocchi, alexander isbn. The book alternates between necchitrocchis attempts to score and flashbacks to his. Young adam, its predecessor, is better known, but the latter is.
Banned books part 2 cains book by alexander trocchi martyn wade, chief executive and national. Like christopher marlowe in doctor faustus or herman melville in moby dick, hes mapping a whole cosmogony, intuiting his way towards an understanding of a social, po. Books blog books the junky genius of alexander trocchi. 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 an honest, raunchy, eyeopening trip through hell. I dont know exactly what the junkie is in our folkloreliterature but i do know he is a very important archetype.
Trocchi was then deep in the throes of heroin addiction. Cains book gets 4 stars from me now these days the philosophical rants and wraiths are too neither here nor there for me these days. Shop amongst our popular books, including, cains book, young adam and more from alexander trocchi. In paris, he founded merlin the outstanding literary magazine, wrote novels for olympia press, experimented with heroin and became hooked. Alexander trocchis pages drift past, monotonous and stark and radiant. The introductions for my copy, by greil marcus and richard seaver, are two of the most dismissive, pessimistic book intros ive. Alexander trocchi written in america while trocchi was working on a scow on the hudson river, cain s book is an extraordinary autobiographical account about a junkys life, and an honest, raunchy, eyeopening trip. Trocchinecchi deftly declares in cains book that there is no story to tell. He was seen as a man of towering literary genius, fated to cut a swath through the world. Alexander trocchis bestknown novel though it was only barely a novel was originally published in new york in 1960.
Alexander trocchis pages drift past, monotonous and stark and radiant sat, jun 8, 2019, 06. Ironically, there was however much anxiety over the telling of this particular antistory. His wife lyn prostituted herself on the streets of the lower east side. Alexander trocchi download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Sep 05, 2019 cains book by alexander trocchi i dont know exactly what the junkie is in our folkloreliterature but i do know he is a very important archetype. Considered by many to be the most dissolute of the beats, for a time it looked like he was more likely to be remembered as the lord of junk than as a writer. Centred loosely upon the motif of heroin addiction, as well as sexual deviance, heroin shapes the structure of the narrative. 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. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Cains book is trocchis selfreflexive look at his life as a junky. Cains book is the first novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi.
Sep 16, 2017 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. 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. Trocchis final and most feted work apart from the oddsandends poetry shambles, man at leisure, a. Alexander trocchi was born in glasgow in 1925 and died in london in 1984. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A commentary on the silence that followed old favourites. It is the trocchi who describes himself in that novel. 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. Cains film 1969 documentary on alexander trocchi 1925 84, scottish born writer, poet, translator and author of young adam and cains. It is clear that the faults of these novels are caused in part by this attempt to record the achievements of the abnormal and to read into these. Norman mailer alexander trocchi was a major figure in cosmopolitan newconsciousness fifties and sixties literature, and cain s book is his signal novel.
Scott, published a biography of alexander trocchi entitled. 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. Buy cains book by alexander trocchi from waterstones today. Book cover art book cover design book art russian literature classic literature classic novels to read classic books ep logo the master and margarita. Bookmark file pdf cains book alexander trocchi cains book alexander trocchi alexander trocchi.
I remember reading cains book in my early twenties and be ing struck by an. 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. I was wearing my heavy white seamans jersey with a high polo neck, and i sensed that the angularity of my. Banned books part 2 cains book by alexander trocchi youtube. These works are two examples of current avantgarde fiction in america. Above all, the author of cains book is a stylist of distinction, constantly able to extract a strange contemporary beauty from situations of squalor and misery.
He injected himself on camera during a live television debate on drug abuse, despite being on bail at the time. Jan 19, 2012 trocchis next publishing punch came with cains book, a roman a clef with experiment at its visceral core, thematically and formally. 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. Author alexander trocchis muse was drugsbut in this novel, he does not romanticize the source of his inspiration. 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. Trocchi, alexander, seaver, richard, marcus, greil. Young adam tends to catch the attention of those less interested in drugs and literary experimentation. The junky genius of alexander trocchi books the guardian. There is considerable division over which trocchi book is his best, but the consensus of opinion is either young adam 1954 or cains book 1961. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers.
So begins cains book, alexander trocchis incredible novel of existential dread. Martyn wade, chief executive and national librarian introduces cains book by scottish beat generation writer alexander trocchis and looks. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Aug 04, 2014 foreword to cains book by alexander trocchi 1993 alexander trocchi was a legendary figure in his lifetime. Trocchis personal, handpainted copy of cains book my scow is tied up in flushing, ny, alongside the landing stage of the mac asphalt and construction corporation. Cains book presents the firstperson reflections of a drug addictwriter who lives on a scow in the hudson. Jacket agetoned with some light tearingchipping at edges. In 1963 in the uk, cains book was one of many books and magazines seized by the police at a booksellers shop in sheffield. If the experience of heroin, of the fix, is central to cains book, both its destructive force and the possibilities for creativity it creates are recognized and accepted without apology. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Its excellent, because the character of alexander trocchi is on every page. Alexander trocchi never wrote another book, suggests that what he was doing all along was.
Alexander trocchi, cains book, ny grove press, 1960 a. Author of helen and desire, young adam, cains book, man at leisure, thongs, the carnal days of helen seferis, white thighs, school for sin alexander trocchi. Nov 30, 2018 cains book is a 1960 novel by scottish beat writer alexander trocchi. A contemporary of oscar wilde, arthur machen and count stenbock, matthew phipps shiel could surpass any of them in the sheer decadent luxuriance of his writing. White thighs by alexander trocchi vintage erotica novel. Written in america while trocchi was working on a scow on the hudson river, cain s book is an extraordinary autobiographical account about a junkys life, and an honest, raunchy, eyeopening trip through hell. When a friend gave it to me to read before my departure, i was electrified. Cains book is such a narrative about a junkie and there have been books on.
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. Alexander trocchi left glasgow university with the honours of a brilliant philosophy scholar. Alexander trocchi 192584 left glasgow university with the honours of a brilliant philosophy scholar. Oct 09, 2017 alexander trocchi 192584 left glasgow university with the honours of a brilliant philosophy scholar. Cains book by alexander trocchi nook book ebook barnes. Alexander trocchi, the author of cains book and young adam, was born in glasgow, scotland, in 1925. Even the title had something extra, some glow, that the titles of other books didnt possess. Aug 24, 2017 alexander trocchi left glasgow university with the honours of a brilliant philosophy scholar. Cains book trocchi, alexander, seaver, richard, marcus, greil on. Merlin held on for 3 years and during that time established a bit of reputationfor the quality of the writing and the brilliantand brilliantly erraticbehavior of the editor. Alexander trocchi was the leading british beat writer of the 1950s and 60s.