book_bookman 's review for:

Pulp by Charles Bukowski

4.0

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I'm going to hazard a guess and say this isn't the best entry point into Bukowski's body of work, but I still liked it regardless. This was pitched to me as a send-up of bad detective novels, and it certainly is that, but I appreciate that this has more on its mind than simple pastiche. There's a real world weariness and pessimism that comes through, and it feels especially poignant given that this was Bukowski's last novel before his passing. The sci-fi elements mesh well with the surreal streak here, too. It's definitely one I'd like to revisit in the future once I'm more familiar with the author's work.