Reviews

Pulp by Charles Bukowski

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woodpusher's review against another edition

4.0

No soy aficionado a la obra de Bukowsky. Pero este volumen, que me fue prestado, es una desternillante parodia del genero noir y me atrevería a decir que lectura obligada para los aficionados al mismo ( como Johnny Weismuller, Tarzán de los monos). Ya las inmediatas y geniales referencias a Céline, la señorita muerte y el gorrión rojo son oro molido. El desarrollo de la trama y el verismo del lenguaje a que Bukowsky nos tiene acostumbrado son aquí doblemente bienvenidos. Entretenimiento (y reflexión) garantizadas. No se lo pierdan.

sillyselkiefae's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Funny short read.

garciaj42's review against another edition

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4.0

A great fun read. Bukowski's sarcasm creeps into the writing. The detective is a horny screwup and his interactions with Lady Death are funny in their absurdity. I enjoyed the parody on Polk fictions with Bukowski's cynical and raunchy take

kvoet's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

lienhsin's review against another edition

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4.0

deliriously beat and deliciously pulp. the most sexless of bukowski novels and unlike any of his previous books. ended bukowski's novel chronology on a high note.

bayrayj's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

For me, every time someone has sex with an animal in a book it looses a star. This book may have lost a couple for that reason, but the main character was also so unlikable it made me care less about the plot. Bukowski’s voice when it come to women is notoriously rancid, so that was that. The main character was clearly an author stand-in, which brought a lot of humor to the book. I believe this Bukowski is best when considering purpose and sadness. There are some great and poetic lines in this book, that being said he is not subtle in any way shape or form. In summation, the story was fun and exciting, the descriptions were flashy and that is what kept me reading.

But also just go read Cats Cradle instead.

Content Warnings