Hi all, new to the forum. I did a pretty extensive search to see if this had already been asked/discussed and came up empty, so I do apologise if this has been covered before.
I have just finished Hollywood, great book, a lot more light hearted than the other Buk books I have read (Ham or Rye, Women, You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense...) but I am a little confused about Chapter 26 and wanted to reach out to people who are hopefully a lot smarter than I am.
Hollywood (for those who havent read it) is about Henry Chinaski and his dealings in Hollywood while trying to get a screen play made into a film. In other words, Bukowski's experieces while trying to get Barfly made. So Bukowski is writing as his alter ego Henry Chinaski; in Chapter 26 it talks about Henry Chinaski, the fictional character, being owned by another studio. Henry Chinaski is talking about Henry Chinaski being his own alter ego in the written works of... Henry Chinaski. Is this a mistake? Shouldn't Bukowski have come up with a third name, the name of the main character and alter ego in works of Henry Chinaski?
From Hollywood:
'...Apparently there is a well known director who claims he has the dramatic rights to all the works about Henry Chinaski. "There is nothing I can do." He told me. "The deal is off."'
Henry Chinaski was the name I had used for my main character in my various novels. I had used the name again in the screenplay.
'What is this bullshit?' I asked.
'It's not bullshit. You have sold the rights to the Henry Chinaski character.'
**End**
And as I mentioned, this book is about Henry Chinaski. The main character in Hollywood is referred to as Henry, Chinaski and Hank throughout the story.
So yeah, little help please!
I have just finished Hollywood, great book, a lot more light hearted than the other Buk books I have read (Ham or Rye, Women, You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense...) but I am a little confused about Chapter 26 and wanted to reach out to people who are hopefully a lot smarter than I am.
Hollywood (for those who havent read it) is about Henry Chinaski and his dealings in Hollywood while trying to get a screen play made into a film. In other words, Bukowski's experieces while trying to get Barfly made. So Bukowski is writing as his alter ego Henry Chinaski; in Chapter 26 it talks about Henry Chinaski, the fictional character, being owned by another studio. Henry Chinaski is talking about Henry Chinaski being his own alter ego in the written works of... Henry Chinaski. Is this a mistake? Shouldn't Bukowski have come up with a third name, the name of the main character and alter ego in works of Henry Chinaski?
From Hollywood:
'...Apparently there is a well known director who claims he has the dramatic rights to all the works about Henry Chinaski. "There is nothing I can do." He told me. "The deal is off."'
Henry Chinaski was the name I had used for my main character in my various novels. I had used the name again in the screenplay.
'What is this bullshit?' I asked.
'It's not bullshit. You have sold the rights to the Henry Chinaski character.'
**End**
And as I mentioned, this book is about Henry Chinaski. The main character in Hollywood is referred to as Henry, Chinaski and Hank throughout the story.
So yeah, little help please!