All Things Bukowski Thread

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:51 pm

So, I'm at school for spring semester doing a musical (more on that later) and I have no work to do, so I went to my library and took out several dozen books.

Two books I took out were Post Office and Factotum by Bukowski.

I took them out on sunday, bought a 30 pack, and now I'm finished both( the books and the beer).
The man is a genius.

This post is for people to recomend other books by Buk that I should check out. I thought about getting Pulp and i've got "Betting on The Muse: Short stories and Poems" but I dont know what else is good. Options are pretty vast *(it's a great library) so chime in folks.

Also reading The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby, two books I've been meaning to scratch off the list for years.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:01 pm

Ham on Rye
Women
Hollywood

That rounds out the Chinaski fivesome. Start with Ham on Rye, as that's about his childhood. Women takes up after Chinaski is somewhat famous, so I'd read that second. Hollywood is about the creation of a Barfly like movie. All quality, and I'm sure you'll enjoy.

hellhound · Post by **hellhound** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:02 pm

Also: Notes of a Dirty Old Man and The Most Beautiful Woman in Town. Plus check out the DVD "Born Into This". Definitely awesome stuff.

DA DRUNK.COM · Post by **DA DRUNK.COM** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:40 pm

I personllys read the short stories first...

hellhound · Post by **hellhound** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:49 pm

Not to be pedantic, but both of the books I mentioned are collections of short stories. Definitely worth it, and "Most Beautiful Woman" has the classic short story "The Fuck Machine". Also, Bone Palace Buffet is a good start for Bukowski poetry.

Nil · Post by **Nil** » Wed May 03, 2006 8:52 am

I read most of Factotum last night, and it obviously had a positive influence, as I woke up this morning (well, early afternoon) surrounded by empty beer cans and with a killer hangover. I'll have to check out the others.

Sgt. HSA · Post by **Sgt. HSA** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:35 am

My favrorite Buk short story title:

You, your beer, and how great you are

That's me to a T

Paralepsis · Post by **Paralepsis** » Wed May 03, 2006 11:17 am

dangling in the tournefortia

you get so alone at times that it just makes sense

Later works, both, but I never ceased to be impressed at the volumes that man could tell in a page of poetry.

Red · Post by **Red** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:07 pm

Find a copy of "My Friend The Gambler" which I've seen just exactly once in an issue of High Times from '83 or '84... it ran over two issues, "not long enough for a novel, too long for a short story"... FIND IT...

Jimmy&Guinney · Post by **Jimmy&Guinney** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:08 pm

South of No North. Short stories, I think at his short story telling finest.

***** · Post by ***** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:11 pm

Agree on the short stories>poetry for Buk. Septugenarian Stew is probably my favorite because he is so tired and jaded. Notes of a Dirty Old Man is interesting to read shortly after Factotum as it is sort of the "Behind The Music" of the novel.

bluebottle · Post by **bluebottle** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:30 pm

a few of my faves as far as his poetry goes are burning in water, drowning in flame, the roominghouse madrigals, the days run away like wold horses over the hills, and of course, play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit. i', more of a fan of his earlier stuff and his midcareer works. much more surreal and poignant.
once in detroit i went to the detroit public library's rare book section and got to have a look at a first edition published by loujon press (out of new orleans, louisiana) of it catches my heart in it's hands. absolutely beautiful. buk's work and the webb's work meshed perfectly. for those of you with access to a decent public library, ask about the rare book section adn see what it holds!

fiyah · Post by **fiyah** » Thu May 04, 2006 5:56 pm

Favorite Bukowski poem:
There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he's
in there.

Captain Fruch · Post by **Captain Fruch** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:08 am

But now I fully agree with his point on women. Those of you who read my posts may remember months ago, I just got out of living with a woman. It ended badly. Got over it, thought I found something better, but a girl hooking up with another guy while your only 5 feet away after you've been seeing her for a few months sure does a number on your mind. It's now 5 in the morning, I'm at a random house, hitting vodka, beer and whiskey and eyeing up some random woman of loose morals. I've already taking a dive, so fuck it. The last of my reservations, emotions and morals are truly out the window.

Fabricsoftner · Post by **Fabricsoftner** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:31 am

I'll drink to that, my freind

All Things Bukowski Thread

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Re: Always Enjoyed Bukowski