Women: A Novel

This was recommended to me recently, so I picked up a copy of my own. I absolutely enjoyed how raw and unfiltered this was. This was packed with life, and at times, uncomfortable honesty. I read that 93% of the story (his writing?) was true. 5-Stars!

I've read this twice and it's just fantastic. I love his poetry but this book is great too and has the same blunt and beautiful style as the poetry. The crazy women in this book and the alcoholic life of the protagonist are gritty and hilarious. It's a long meandering story without a real plot other than the endless string of girlfriends the famous poet manages to acquire even though he's old and a hopeless drunk. I wonder how much of it was true... a lot I bet.

Very good bukowski novel. Nice cover but only really works if you get the matching versions of ham on rye and post office. Good quality print and pages.

I read Women immediately following Post Office, and it is also a part of my Esquire 75 Books Every Man Needs To Read reading challenge. Women is the 20th book on the list (not including books I will be rereading).After the death of his postal career along with the love of his life, Bukowski’s Chianski begins to scour trashy America for experience, art, booze, and sex. His career is beginning to take off and he can domore than merely survive in his existence, and he begins to explore himself and his relationships in this semi-autobiographical novel about much the same things as his other novels, but with a marked difference in literary style and execution as well as notoriety and accomplishment as an artist.The focus of this piece is easily the paper-thin relationships that Chianski surrounds himself with. Every escapade leads to some revelation about his manhood, his fame, and his constant brush with the women that seem to constantly contrast with his one vice – a penchant for finding the most emotionally unstable women to have weekend relationships with, and being both unsatisfied with the sex and relationship, and surprised when the women cling to him with fervent desire.In Women, Bukowski has improved and expanded his literary dance with being both anti-pedantic in diction and syntax while at the same time being misleading in his ability to screw intensive literary symbolism and devices into this somewhat simple work. The result is scrupulous, tireless literary and linguistic acrobatics that lead across the wasteland of white-trash slums and heighten Chianski’s vices and sexual escapades to that of religious reverence.Definitely deserves its place on Esquire's list.

Bukowski styleThe one and only

I've concluded that most people who discovered Charles Bukowski in their teenage years eventually grow out of the old crank. The few readers who don't go the other way and come to idolize Bukowski even more. When I was 17 or 18, I went on a Bukowski binge, reading "Post Office," "South of No North" and "Factotum" in about a week. This was around the same time that the movie "Barfly" came out. (The picture stars Mickey Rourke in what remains his best performance as Bukowski's alter ego, Henry Chinaski.) Bukowski then wrote a novel about the moviemaking experience in "Hollywood," which I also read a few years after the initial Bukowski binge. (For the record, I haven't been exposed to any of Bukowski's poetry.) Well, now twenty years have passed, and I decided to revisit a writer who played a role in my formative years and picked up "Women," which, like many of Bukowski's novels features his stand-in, Chinaski, the former postal worker turned poet and novelist. I can't say I was disappointed by "Women," because I knew what to expect going in. That said, the semi-autobiographical work just didn't connect with me on the same level as the books that I remember from decades ago. This could be for a number of reasons. First, Bukowski works better in short doses. "Post Office" was a breezy, hilarious read. "Women" comes in at almost 300 pages, and quickly turns repetitive. It's basically the same story told 20 times: Chinaski meets a much younger woman, beds her, they argue, break up, get back together, break up again, with lots of drinking and gambling in between. Second, Bukowski/Chinaski was a better read when he was a struggling writer. In "Women," Chinaski has achieved a small amount of fame, so the reader has to put up with endless poetry readings in the narrative. Third, and perhaps most important of all, Bukowski's ranting and raving might strike a chord with younger readers, but to more mature readers, he just comes across as a really mean old man. In short, Bukowski is the same, but I've changed.

Let's start off by saying...Wow. This book was a rollercoaster!I first heard of this book when I watched a behind the scenes documentary on one of my favorite shows, Californication. It was mentioned that Henry Chilaski, main character in the book, was the model for the show's hank Moody. After I read the book, I could not agree more. nail, coffin, done.The book has a no holds barred atmosphere. Not a few pages in and Henry Chilaski is in a whirlwind of violation drinking, drugs and constant sexual encounters. I found myself sympathizing with the Chilaski character as the story goes on. In moments of the book it reminded me of parts of my life. It has a way off pulling you in and then slamming your fingers in the door.Bukowski's renegade and raw approach to writing is known world wide and this book does not hold any punches. It's fast and full of life. I read it in a two night sitting and it left me yearning for more.This book is definitely worth the pick up. It's funny, charming, entertaining, dismissive, angry and rude all rolled into one.I hope you have as much fun with it, as I did.