Charles Bukowski

[1985viv]

Modest Mouse put me onto chinaski

Yeah, ive read "post office" and "women" but kinda felt it was a guilty pleasure, unlike reading others ( camus, tolstoy, dostoevsky ) bukowski gives me the impression he has nothing to do or say and so writes about it...... and its entertaining cause he has a talent for truth, albeit the truth of an womanising alcoholic... however, ive recently picked up "the most beautiful woman in town : and other shorts" its quite different, very metaphorical and psycadelic in places, strange happenings and surreal worlds all giving me greater texture to his grim view of the world. But also some storys of his usual antics. Some other the storys in "the most..." really strike me as a nice bukowski mix of dahl macabre and burroughs surrealism.

 

[mehastings]

...but kinda felt it was a guilty pleasure...

That's OK. My reading is sporadic, so I prefer lighter reading. It isn't as hard to pick up after a few days (or weeks).

 

[1985viv]

This latest bukowski has really shown me a different side to him. "the most beautiful woman in town" has really left a very different taste in my mouth than the other 2 i mentioned previously.

Very macabre, and metaphorical. A scene in one short contains two workers putting men through a squeezer in order to "get all the guts out of them" before posting them off to various low end places of employment. There is also a great tale of the president being kidnapped and hitler using his skin, hitler a bit miffed he had to wait till 2 kennedys had been put out the way because the stunt wouldnt be plausible with the kennedys! Quite a comment!

The tone is much more philosophical and the feeling of his world is much more oblique and vaguely (sp?) objective rather than down right subjective with many acute views from the chinasky POV...

Makes me feel that in future I may opt for another collection of shorts rather than factotum ( yeah, i know, i know... ) or ham on rye.

I think im going to leave bukowski alone for a bit though, I need to read some theory and dostoevsky..... and finish of the myth of sisythus (sp).

 

[paperapostle]

I only know of Charles Bukowski through many recommendations from a friend over the years AND a Modest Mouse song...

Woke up this morning and it seemed to me,
that every night turns out to be
A little more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?

After reading this thread I think I have a better idea of where to start.

 

[scarlettpikachu]

Richard Ashcroft named his debut solo album, "Alone With Everybody," just like Bukowski's poem. It's a wonderful album just like it's a wonderful poem.