The Western Lands (William S. Burroughs)

The final piece of the puzzle is, contrary to what you might expect, or at least hope, the least coherent of the three. The aftermath of the shootout leaves Joe the dead, a strange kind of anti-hero, and clears the way for a new, seemingly unrelated (or reincarnated) character, Neferti. I couldn't help picturing this character as an ancient Egyptian, which seemed appropriate given the intense exploration of Egyptian beliefs of the transmigration of souls in this book. Actually, that is sort of what the book is all about. I think the Western Lands (or the afterlife) must represent a safe haven from the oppressive force of time, and from persecution by the "shits" of the world. Framed by a set of bookend accounts of an old, dried out writer, this book is ultimately very bitter and pessimistic. Failure, burnout, and no hope for the future.