six inches

[PhillyDave]

I just got my hands on The Most Beautiful Woman in Town and Other Stories and have read the above mentioned short story six inches. Wow. That has to be one of the strangest, funniest, and best short stories i have ever read. I have been known to bore my wife by reading excerpts aloud to her while she's trying to watch tv or facebook but in this instance, while folding laundry, she agreed to dedicate her full attention to it. She liked it a lot and that's saying a lot because she likes Buk okay but usually finds him too off putting. Her loss. I'll give her this. She's read a fair sampling so I'm cool with her opinion.

I'm curious what anyone thinks of that story. And while we're at it, what's one of your favorite Buk short stories?

 

[ESO9]

I remember the first time I read Six Inches I laughed out loud many times. Another short story that had me howling in laughter is called The Great Zen Wedding. It's in the book Tales of Ordinary Madness. I wish they never would have split those books up into 3.

Anyway, welcome aboard, Dave.

 

[roni]

funny you should mention that story.

Only 3 weeks ago there was a theatre-play based on it in Basel (that's Switzerland).




According to the attached newspaper-snippet, there was a guy interruptiong the actor, saying this was dirty crap (they don't say quite clear whether he was complaining about the content or the quality of the show, but from another newspaper, it seemed he argued about the explicit content).

Then it says, the heckler wouldn't stop arguing and other people in the audience couldn't make him stop or leave, so it became a small riot and the actor couldn't finish his performance.

 

[ESO9]

That's great, roni!

 

[PhillyDave]

Thank you gentlemen (I assume). @ ESO9 I have Tales and will have to refresh my memory in re The Great Zen Wedding.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

And while we're at it, what's one of your favorite Buk short stories?

How about two? All the Assholes in the World and Mine; Life and Death in the Charity Ward. Granted, assholes is broken into sections (hard to call them chapters), but it's more of a short story than anything else. It's not long enough to be a novella. What an annoying word.

 

[PhillyDave]

Yes, those are two great ones esp All the Assholes.

Novella, novella, swella! Yeah, novella is like "It's not a novel, but it's not a short story." Make up yr mind. Just like those "sandle/shoes" that are rather popular in my neighborhood. "Is is a sandle? Is it a shoe?" Wear a sandle or wear a shoe. Pick one.

 

[carlito]

Just re-read the Six inches story, definitely one of my favorites!

 

[PhillyDave]

It's been 7 years since my above post. The story one writes? Call it wat ever you want. Size does not matter. As long as it's good. "That's what she said."

 

[ollytaylor99]

I think Six Inches is incredible. I get a lot from the story, besides the noticeable humour. It exudes a lot in relation to themes of relationships, and I think the general society/population as a whole. Particularly from the way Bukowski himself looked towards life. For example, how his appearance and size did not matter, and the fact that no one could notice him when he was only six inches tall, as long as he could live the way he liked still, then it didn't matter. Also I think the way in which he submitted to the women in his life is shown here. He did always say he wasn't always just 'jumping into bed and f**king', and that he wasn't as tough as he made out. Particularly when the character of Sarah makes him punch his sides 400 times a day in order to stop the fat on his sides from sagging, I think, as humorous and ridiculous as it is, it is also very sad and shows his vulnerability.