An author who brought his readers to a nervous breakdown. Sometimes it is simply impossible to read his stories without a break, you need to postpone the book and rethink everything written. Films have been made on Bukowski’s books more than once and they all received high marks. In some shootings, the author himself participated as a screenwriter.
His works raised topics that are relevant to this day. He does not focus on intricate stories, his main goal is to bring the reader to emotions and he copes with this task perfectly. No matter how he was scolded and no matter how cursed for the tin in the texts, they read it constantly and the writer’s popularity only grew. This was exactly what people needed - a surge of emotions, a roller coaster on offer and frankness.
His works are marked by important awards and prizes; he is the most vivid representative of “dirty realism”. Each scene is described so believably that it is impossible not to believe. Each letter is eaten into readers and drills with its fury and irony.
Bukowski is called “American genius of literature”, Let's figure out what books he owes such a title. Here is a list of the best books by Charles Bukowski.
10. Hollywood
Composition "Hollywood”Based on real events. The story of the time when Charles worked on the script for the movie “Drunk,” which was directed by director Barbet Schroeder in 1987. Starring real stars of the time.
The text turned out to be lyrical and even sentimental in spite of the fact that the author is used to putting the toughest scenes from real life to the public. This may not be the best book to get to know the writer, but you should definitely read it. Here it’s not the plot that clings to it, but the incredible syllable of the author, into which you plunge headlong.
9. Notes of the old goat
This is a kind of column led by Bukowski. Due to the fact that the editor-in-chief did not check the writer's texts and immediately sent them to print, Charlie published everything without filters, and therefore he got a real hodgepodge. The stories collected stories from life, the most ordinary, which do not carry any semantic load.
Book “Scraps of an old goat”For an adult, more meaningful audience. They have a lot of dirt in everyday life, despite the fact that the work was written a very long time ago, the themes in them are raised up to date. Bukowski's philosophical thoughts provide food for thought and leave a pleasant aftertaste for a long time.
8. Factotum
This book brought tremendous success to the author. Critics, without any modesty, called her the best novel from the legendary tales of Chinaski. As Bukowski himself put it: “...it’s everyday tyagomotin of the lower alcohol class, those who simply try to survive“. Two films were made for the work and both received excellent marks from the audience.
In his book “Factum”The author talks about life as it is, does not embellish and does not try to please readers. People make their own choices how to relate to the actions of heroes, no one imposes opinions. The main character confidently goes to the goal - self-destruction and can only watch his road.
7. Waste paper
To read this book you need to know the personality of the writer very well, be familiar with at least a couple of his works and, of course, have a sense of humor. All pages are saturated with irony and sarcasm.
In his book “Waste paper”The author makes fun of tabloid literature and shows everyone his attitude towards it. Dialogues are filled with fear, violence and filth. Here is such an unexpected book, but in its usual style, the author gave us at the end of his career.
This work turned out as a dialogue for a bottle of good whiskey with an old friend. It’s like intimate conversations of people who are not afraid that they will be misunderstood or offended.
Many frank conversations, which, surprisingly, are permeated by friendship and warmth. This is manifested even through the thickness of black humor. The book is dedicated to good literature, which is dedicated to bad literature.
6. Flash of lightning over the mountain
It is not clear how such an evil, ironic writer manages to penetrate the soul of all readers. It seems that the syllable is hard and the words he selects are completely unkind, but it is so catchy that the picture is incredibly lyrical.
“Flash of lightning over the mountain”- this is the second poetry collection of the famous author, which was published after his death. Poems are written in the classical style of Bukowski, he remained true to himself to the very end.
5. The first beauty in the city
This book received many unflattering reviews, but it did not become less popular from this. They love her just as they hate, are horrified, but continue to read and discuss. Bukowski knew how to make hype in one short story. And so it happened to him with this work “The first beauty in the city”.
The collection is a collection of stories, some of which lead to madness, and some pierce into a tear. Well, we must pay tribute to this author, he knew how to stir the audience.
4. Ham bread
Many of Charles Bukovka’s creations are somehow autobiographical, Work “Ham bread”, Was no exception.
The fourth in a series of five, the novel tells us the story of Henry Chinaski, Jr., from the moment of his first childhood memories to the high school stage. Henry Chinaski is the alter ego of the author himself, and the family of the protagonist is the embodiment of the family of Charles himself.
3. Women
Roman “Women”Is central in a series of five autobiographical works of the author, and reveals the theme of the intense sex life of the anti-hero Bukowski - Henry Chinaski.
In the course of the story, we learn about Henry’s many relationships with different women, from lightning-fast intrigues, to serious loves, from defeats to victories on the “personal front”.
An interesting and rich book that will reveal to us yet another side of Chinaski’s life, which means Charles Bukowski himself.
2. Post Office
Roman Bukowski “Post office”Talks about the stage of life of Henry Chinaski, a drunken employee of the US Postal Department. Like most of the author’s novels, the Post Office is an autobiographical work, because the author himself worked at the post office for more than one year.
This book is a real pride, the property of both the author himself and the literature as a whole. Skillful and uncompromising, funny and sad - that’s how you can describe the novel in four adjectives. Required reading.
1. The story of ordinary madness
Charles Bukowski's StorybookThe story of ordinary madness”Is a challenge, it’s the splendor and dirt of the human bottom, coupled with the author’s ingenious syllable. It captures and does not let go, it is shocking and disgusting, but it is read excitedly. As, however, the whole of Charles Bukowski.
Perhaps this is the most famous work of this author. With it, it is worth starting to get acquainted with creativity and slowly penetrate into a realistic built world. The author skillfully manipulates the emotions of readers, forcing him to feel disgust, anger, perplexity and pity. This is the only author with minimal focus on the plot, but with maximum emotional impact.