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Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Welcome aboard, johnh! - Where to go now? Well, there's 5 other novels (but wait with the one called Pulp. To understand it all, you need to know your Bukowski first, because there's lots of hints to Bukowski's personal life in the book) you can choose from, as well as some short story collections, not to mention all the poetry books.
I think all the novels are great, so just pick one. It does'nt really matter which one you read next (apart from Pulp).
The short story collections are all great too. My personal favorite is South Of No North.
As for the poetry collections, I would suggest, Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame, if you want to read some of his early poems from 1955-1973.
From his "middle" period, I would suggest, Dangling In The Tournefortia.
And from his later years, The Last Night Of The Earth Poems.
Those are all among the most popular poem collections.
I think all the novels are great, so just pick one. It does'nt really matter which one you read next (apart from Pulp).
The short story collections are all great too. My personal favorite is South Of No North.
As for the poetry collections, I would suggest, Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame, if you want to read some of his early poems from 1955-1973.
From his "middle" period, I would suggest, Dangling In The Tournefortia.
And from his later years, The Last Night Of The Earth Poems.
Those are all among the most popular poem collections.
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Welcome Johnh,
looking around you'll find as many suggestions about where to go next, that you'll be disoriented. A lot. (There's even a section here named 'So many books...where the hell do I start?')
But, I will give you the way to go now! - for free!
- Buks poetry is kind of his Main work - but NOTHING for beginners (except you're into poetry anyway)
- His short-stories vary a LOT in quality (due to the fact that some were just written to make money with girlie-mags.)
- You did like a novel of his - so for a start: stick to this!
I see 3 possible novels for you to enter next. Depending on What you liked most with 'Post-Office':
- the restless boozer who goes from one job to another:
That's 'FACTOTUM'
- the womanizer, who made his success (this one is settled right after 'PO') through writing. But still not satisfied, still looking for something really fulfilling.
That's 'WOMEN'
- the kid (childhood and adolencense) - we see, where all this came from: the loner, the drinker, the writer/poet, the outsider, the tortured creature.
A beating father, schoolmates that hated his guts, acne, no chances with the girls, anti-germanism, the big depression, no hope, no future, a lost soul.
This is 'HAM ON RYE'.
looking around you'll find as many suggestions about where to go next, that you'll be disoriented. A lot. (There's even a section here named 'So many books...where the hell do I start?')
But, I will give you the way to go now! - for free!
- Buks poetry is kind of his Main work - but NOTHING for beginners (except you're into poetry anyway)
- His short-stories vary a LOT in quality (due to the fact that some were just written to make money with girlie-mags.)
- You did like a novel of his - so for a start: stick to this!
I see 3 possible novels for you to enter next. Depending on What you liked most with 'Post-Office':
- the restless boozer who goes from one job to another:
That's 'FACTOTUM'
- the womanizer, who made his success (this one is settled right after 'PO') through writing. But still not satisfied, still looking for something really fulfilling.
That's 'WOMEN'
- the kid (childhood and adolencense) - we see, where all this came from: the loner, the drinker, the writer/poet, the outsider, the tortured creature.
A beating father, schoolmates that hated his guts, acne, no chances with the girls, anti-germanism, the big depression, no hope, no future, a lost soul.
This is 'HAM ON RYE'.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
Okay, to what the Danish and German reading experts suggest, they are correct.
Welcome to the right place to be, but may I suggest taking advantage of the feeling you get when you read Bukowski, that strong feeling to have a drink and another. At least that's one of the things I get from Bukowski plus a very clear vision of how mankind is. That will drive you to drink as well.
Enjoy the massive expanse of Bukowski knowledge that exists here.
Welcome to the right place to be, but may I suggest taking advantage of the feeling you get when you read Bukowski, that strong feeling to have a drink and another. At least that's one of the things I get from Bukowski plus a very clear vision of how mankind is. That will drive you to drink as well.
Enjoy the massive expanse of Bukowski knowledge that exists here.
Ambreen
Sordide Sentimental
Hello and welcome !
I personally read him at random and I never got disappointed by my choices till now ;)
But we can say that of most of his books, can't we ?
I personally read him at random and I never got disappointed by my choices till now ;)
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Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
True, but if Pulp is your first (or second) Buk book you probably won't understand the significance of names like Celine, John Barton and the red sparrow, or the significance of Nick Belane being enveloped in a blaze of YELLOW at the end f.ex.. Small things like that. You can still read the book and like it, but why not wait until you "get" it all? Plus, it's very different from the other novels (many people don't even like it), so I think it's better to read about Henry Chinaski's exploits in the other 5 novels first.
Of course, I may be totally wrong....
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I'd also say hold off on Pulp
those are really the key things about why. Welcome johnh :)
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Black Swan
Abord the Yorikke!
hi,
we can also tell you what to eat, what kind of whiskey to drink, and what to smoke.
If that is not enough we'll even tell you what to listen to if you are short of ideas
So you are on ;)
we can also tell you what to eat, what kind of whiskey to drink, and what to smoke.
If that is not enough we'll even tell you what to listen to if you are short of ideas
So you are on ;)
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Ambreen
Sordide Sentimental
You can get it all without waiting, by enquiring about the author just after having finished the first book ;) That's what I did with Hank (and Pulp turned out to be my second Buk book) and what I usually do when I'm bewitched by a writer I've never read before.
Of course !
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Think about this:
You only get to read Bukowski for the first time ... once, in your life...
All of the above are great suggestions.
Me, personally, I chose a more chronological approach, I started with Ham on Rye, then moved on to Factotum...
I ended with Pulp, which seemed appropriate.
This of course was my Novel approach.
You could just go to a bookstore or Library, stand in a front of a large selection Bukowski, and grab the first thing that jumps out at you. I just don't think you will be disappointed.:)
You only get to read Bukowski for the first time ... once, in your life...
All of the above are great suggestions.
Me, personally, I chose a more chronological approach, I started with Ham on Rye, then moved on to Factotum...
I ended with Pulp, which seemed appropriate.
This of course was my Novel approach.
You could just go to a bookstore or Library, stand in a front of a large selection Bukowski, and grab the first thing that jumps out at you. I just don't think you will be disappointed.:)
mjp
Founding member
There is something in the works, a Bukowski Book Club of sorts. So anyone wondering what to read will get some help there. It will also encourage a lot of us to read books we may not have read in years, so it should be cool. We're just waiting on someone who is having computer problems at the moment to get it started.
Welcome, johnh!
I'm still new to Buk's novels, but I've been reading his poetry for years. I was advised to try Factotum for my first novel. Then I went to Women on my own. I enjoyed both those books.
As for poetry, you really can't go wrong with any of them. It just depends on which one calls to you. My first volume of poetry was Sifting Through the Madness, and it made a great impression upon me.
Have fun digging, my friend!
I'm still new to Buk's novels, but I've been reading his poetry for years. I was advised to try Factotum for my first novel. Then I went to Women on my own. I enjoyed both those books.
As for poetry, you really can't go wrong with any of them. It just depends on which one calls to you. My first volume of poetry was Sifting Through the Madness, and it made a great impression upon me.
Have fun digging, my friend!
