Best Bukowski Novel (1 Viewer)

I think I liked Women best. I just felt more in his head then, like I was traveling the journey with him.

It really is too bad he didn't get to write more novels. I think had he had more time he'd have really punched some stuff out.
 
i think he could have written more if he wanted. it's not like it took him that long...

plus, he went out with a novel that it seems like a majority of people dislike.
 
Actually, Pulp is the one of his novels I haven't gotten around to reading. It seemed from reading the blurb and all out of his character.

Though, what you said about him wanting to write reminds me of a poem he did called So You Think You're A Writer (I think it's called). I think when he was going it would have been easy enough... But you can't say it was automatic. Personally, I think if he'd had more time he would have written more novels.
 
Pulp is a great novel. It has Buk's humour written all over it; quick witty one liners, plenty of balls, etc. I laughed right through, even when he got bored and brought it all to a sudden end.. It's all one big joke! And I can imagine him at his desk writing it, smoking, drinking, thinking, 'yeah, fuck it, I'll put that in...'

Finally got hold of a Region two copy of barfly and it's not writer protect...but it cost me, so no, you go find your own. It's taken me years to seek the bastard out!
 
Ham on Rye is my favourite book of Bukowski's. I definitely agree with allnitewatchman that with most of his books you can't tell what is exaggeration and boasting. With Ham on Rye though there seems to be just the honest-to-God warp of time on memory. Also, I have always been interested in an author's formative years.

Paul

Also, about barfly, I work in a video store that had a copy and I took it pretty quickly. That, and Factotum.
 
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It's a hard decision which is the best one, they're all good in different ways. I'd have to say Hollywood is my favorite, both gritty and decadent, with a coherent plot unlike his other novels. Followed closely by ham on rye, then the post office, because it's so raw, then factotum, women, and pulp.
 
Ham On Rye, so far. I've only read that, Post Office, and Factotum so far, but Ham On Rye really seemed to depict his spirit.
 
Interesting choices. I thought Women was kind of flakey, and without much persistence in philosophy. The Post office was fresher, really good earlier Bukowski stuff. Women fell flat for me.
 
Women's not terrible, but I do think that love is a dog from hell and his other poems are more indicative of his quality work during that period. That's why I put a poem from that book on my siggie.
 
His early "choose your own adventures", "scratch and sniff" and the critically panned "pop up books". That is when he shone like a crazy diamond.
 
Ha!
A Bukowski pop-up would be fucking excellent... all his well endowed women being chased by little smoking men with little bottles and towering bird creatures stomping around.

Scratch and sniff Bukowski books? That's just bloody disgusting! :D

Choose your own adventure - Poets die in...
  1. Steaming pots of shit
  2. Steaming pots of piss
  3. Steaming pots of pork dumplings

The days run away like...
 
Definitely Factotum for me, followed by Ham on Rye, Hollywood, Women, Post Office, and Pulp.

What's one of his best collections of Poetry to start out with?
 
Ahh, an old thread. I think that several other threads about best volumes of poetry are already out there, but as I can't be buggered to find them, I'll say it here:

1974 Burning in Water Drowning in Flame is excellent. It collects much of his out-of-print work from the 1960s along with some 1973-74 work. So, a nice collection of his earlier style mixing in with his middle period.

1981 Dangling in the Tournefortia is also very good. Middle period moving toward later period.

1986 You Get so Alone at Times it Just Makes Sense is very good; fewer words, just as much oommph.

1991 The Last Night of the Earth Poems is very good. Later period.

Hell, they're all good, some are just better than others. It really depends on what style of his you might prefer.
 
For me, in order of preference:

1. Hollywood - a terrific take on the roman a clef genre
2. Pulp - another genre spin (the title says it all) and a very underrated Bukowski work
3. Factotum - an ode to the workingman's blues, gripping despite the redundant nature of the narrative
 
I agree with postino's sentiment about liking them all for different reasons. The novels have all been so important to me for different reasons that it is difficult to separate my feeling at the time from my sense of the books. With that said, I'd have to say that Factotum had and has the greatest impact on me.
 
Women, by far. such a good novel.
Butttttt for short stories Hot Water Music was ace. I liked that one a lot.
Read it in two days.
Hollywood is good.
Gosh, all of em are good.
But out of the ones I've read, Ham on Rye, Post Office, Women, Hollywood, Hot Water Music and Pulp.
I gotta go with Women as the best.
 
Thanks for the help everyone. I am going to get started on his poetry, right after I can find a copy of "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame." Can't wait...

Also, this may have been posted, but what does everyone think about "Septuagenarian Stew?" I just bought it and wondered what to expect before I begin reading it...
 
Poetry: The Roominghouse Madrigals rocks. One of my faves of all Buk's works... Always wanted to be a madrigalist - but never made it...living in the wrong century and all...
 
Also, this may have been posted, but what does everyone think about "Septuagenarian Stew?" I just bought it and wondered what to expect before I begin reading it...
"Septuagenarian Stew" has many great poems in it. Some of the short stories are great too, such as f.ex., "Bring Me Your Love". It's a good book! I think you'll enjoy it...
 
My first was "Factotum" in Danish, but my favorite is Ham On Rye or Post Office. The storytelling was excellent in those books! The poems never did much for me, even though some take my breath away...
 
Pulp is a great novel. It has Buk's humour written all over it; quick witty one liners, plenty of balls, etc. I laughed right through, even when he got bored and brought it all to a sudden end.. It's all one big joke! And I can imagine him at his desk writing it, smoking, drinking, thinking, 'yeah, fuck it, I'll put that in...'

Finally got hold of a Region two copy of barfly and it's not writer protect...but it cost me, so no, you go find your own. It's taken me years to seek the bastard out!

Pulp's hilarious, the scene with the guy (Groover?) sitting at his desk for five minutes in silence because they both thought the other was going to speak... brilliant. I imagine it will be a lot of people's least favourite because it's more fictional than his other works, but it could well be my favourite. Read it in about two sittings.

By the way, Barfly is on YouTube these days, in several languages.
 

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