I'm no expert on the works on Charles Bukowski, but Post Office is the the third Bukowski novel that I've read in the last two years. I started reading his novels (I'm not too interested in his poetry) after I had read something on the internets that suggested that Chuck Palahniuk's fans wouldn't know a good book if it bit them on the ass so they should pick up Bukowski's Ham on Rye. Seeing as I couldn't stand the Palahniuk novel I was reading at the time, that sounded like a pretty good idea. Post Office is Bukowski's first novel to feature his semi-autobiographical stand-in Henry Chinaski, though it focuses on a period of his life that comes after the events of later novels such as Ham on Rye and Factotum. I'll avoid ending this review with any hyperbolic praise for Bukowski, as most of his fans are wont to do, all I'll say is that there is already another Bukowski title lined up on my Amazon wish list.Rating: 90%
(Image from jodi.vox.com)
Posts
4 comments:
I've never read any of Bukowski's prose, but I really hate his poetry like crazy.
Chuck Palahniuk's not a bad writer for people who otherwise hate reading. I read Choke and Diary and thought they were so-so, but when it's good, his style has a visceral quality that I like.
I've never read any Bukowski, but I do like that Modest Mouse song.
Survivor and Rant are also good Palahniuk books. I used to be a more vocal supporter of his works, but I've reached a point where I've read about as many bad Palahniuk novels as I have good ones.
I like Bukowski's novels simply because they paint an interesting portrait of what it must have been like to be an aspiring writer/alcoholic (redundant?) in L.A. in the earlier part of the 20th century. None of his novels (at least none of the ones that I've read) really have a point or any kind of plot arc, but they still make for a good read.
Aspiring writers are truly loathsome creatures.
Post a Comment