Way out of what one associates with Bukowski but... I read Don Quixote for the first time early last year. I also recently re-read Notes, and Bukowski mentions Cervantes passingly in the column about moving to New York when he was young, but as far as I can recall that's the only mention of him in all of B's work.
I once heard that Cervantes is what people think Shakespeare is, and I couldn't agree more. Of course being contemporaries, it is obvious why Shakespeare gained more traction in the English language. Cervantes is just kinda brushed off to the side in English lit courses, as far as I know. I acknowledge it is a steep comparison, with Shakespeare writing plays and Cervantes writing mostly novels, but I think it's a fair one, the two being giants in their own respective languages and what not. I am also not as much of a hater on the old bard as Buk was. I've read a few of his plays and liked a couple. But he is just outmatched in terms of wit and prose against Cervantes, in my humble opinion. Maybe it's the fact that Cervantes was much more of a realist, and it shows in his writing style. I like to think Bukowski did read him but who knows.
Planning on reading Exemplary novels later this year. Anyone else a fan of the father of Spanish letters?