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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This is the first Bukowski novel I read - I chose it because the movie version was coming out, and I wanted to read the book first.
As a first Bukowski novel, it's a wise choice, because it's a quick read. I blew through it in 2-3 days. It's a very conflicting book, because in some regards it's depressing to see how he lived, what his relationships were like, but on other levels, it's inspiring, because he was so dirt poor and bounced around from job to job, but was able to support himself and his career, even if the quality of life was so low. He did what he had to do to make it work.
My one qualm with this book is that I know a lot of people who read this and think they get the basic gist of Bukowski, when that is so very much not the case. Bukowski had a very tumultuous home life (which he supposedly addresses in Ham on Rye, which I have yet to read), especially with his father, which is accountable for a lot of the reasons why he is who he is. There's only one scene in Factotum that illustrates his father's treatment of him and his mothers' unwillingness to restrain his father - and it's one of the most memorable of the book. This is also low on the social commentary factor which, believe it or not, Bukowski actually does plenty of elsewhere - it's just that it's generally over-shadowed by all the raunchier aspects of his work.
Absolutely pick this up, but don't let this be the only thing of his that you read.
As a first Bukowski novel, it's a wise choice, because it's a quick read. I blew through it in 2-3 days. It's a very conflicting book, because in some regards it's depressing to see how he lived, what his relationships were like, but on other levels, it's inspiring, because he was so dirt poor and bounced around from job to job, but was able to support himself and his career, even if the quality of life was so low. He did what he had to do to make it work.
My one qualm with this book is that I know a lot of people who read this and think they get the basic gist of Bukowski, when that is so very much not the case. Bukowski had a very tumultuous home life (which he supposedly addresses in Ham on Rye, which I have yet to read), especially with his father, which is accountable for a lot of the reasons why he is who he is. There's only one scene in Factotum that illustrates his father's treatment of him and his mothers' unwillingness to restrain his father - and it's one of the most memorable of the book. This is also low on the social commentary factor which, believe it or not, Bukowski actually does plenty of elsewhere - it's just that it's generally over-shadowed by all the raunchier aspects of his work.
Absolutely pick this up, but don't let this be the only thing of his that you read.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quel meilleur moyen d'adoucir son lundi que de passer la journée en partageant ses repas et sa soirée avec Hank, alter ego pas si fictif de Bukowski, de rire avec lui de ses déboires, entre petits boulots plus minables les uns que les autres, traversées en long, en large et en travers des États Unis par bus Greyhound, grosses murges en solo ou pas, l'écritures de quelques nouvelles aux titres aussi désabusés que ses attentes de reconnaissance littéraire et surtout, ses tentatives de bagarres, ses mésaventures professionnelles hilarantes et les femmes...
J'aime l'écriture franche et directe de Bukowski, sans jugement, un simple constat, sa tendresse bien grasse, ses mots d'amour obscènes et ce ton positif dans le récit de ce choix de vie sans autre ambition que d'avoir suffisamment pour un toit, de la bouffe et de la vinasse.
Bukowski, c'est de la poésie. Et mon lundi s'achève avec le sourire...
J'aime l'écriture franche et directe de Bukowski, sans jugement, un simple constat, sa tendresse bien grasse, ses mots d'amour obscènes et ce ton positif dans le récit de ce choix de vie sans autre ambition que d'avoir suffisamment pour un toit, de la bouffe et de la vinasse.
Bukowski, c'est de la poésie. Et mon lundi s'achève avec le sourire...
Like Post Office, only with more jobs for Chinaski to suffer through. And not as good. But still worth a read.
The quality of the work snuck up on me. Good one liners. Repetitive. Ended about 30 pages late. Consistent themes. It was fine.
It's funny. It's Bukowski. The main character Henry Chinaski drinks a lot of booze and listens to classical music. Women seem to want to do it with him all the time, even though he describes himself as a hopeless loser. He gets a lot of jobs and then doesn't have them anymore. He meets a lot of depraved individuals, and some people who seem to be caught up it that horrible circumstance of having to throw their lives away either as lowly workers or middle management. That about sums up the whole book. Read it if you like other stuff like this.
A tale of lost jobs and drunkenness that seems quite different to today's world — although the vulgarity still has the power to elicit a horrified laugh. Not a lot happens, and even for a book this length it's fairly repetitive. Still, it was entertaining enough.