What do people think of him?

I'm reading "Women" at the moment and I've never read anything else of his. I just can't see what all the fuss is about. I've been told it isn't a fair representation of his writing and I should give his poetry a go.

I would like to know what other people think.

I've only ever heard of him in passing, never read his work, so this was a rather pointless contribution by me.

Thanks anyway

I like him lots, though he's someone who has as many detractors as devotees; the Bukowski-reader 'Run with the Hunted' is a nice primer, having bits from most of his novels and short-stories, as well as the poetry, which is wild stuff (sort of Kerouac's coda to Big Sur, with a dash of Lorca, edited by Jack London). 'Women' is part of a sequence of novels set around Harry Chinaski - you're probably better off reading one of the earlier books in this series, notably the fantastic 'Ham on Rye', which I think is the best thing written by him.

Alternately, you could check out one of his major-influences, John Fante- who I think is a better writer (I'm sure Bukowski would agree) - 'The Bandini Quartet' (Wait Until Spring, Bandini/Ask the Dust/The Road to Los Angeles/Dreams of Bunker Hill) & 'The Brotherhood of the Grape' have just both been issued/reissued, and are fantastic....

Hmmmm perhaps I better try some of his other stuff before I make my mind up.
But really I'm going to struggle finishing "women" its really boring. Its written like "I did this and then I did this and I sat for and hour then I drank a beer and then I thought I might do that but I didn't....etc..." I normally like books where nothing much happens but blimey, this one is testing me! At least he is self deprecating!

.

Ham on Rye remains the best thing I've read by CB; the perfect novel of this kind (sex, crude, writer etc) remains 'Tropic of Cancer' by Henry Miller...

I quite liked Tropic of Cancer.. it was years ago I read it though so I can only remember bits and bobs of it vaguely.
Perhaps I will give Ham on Rye a go sometime... but I'm giving myself a break after this one and reading something more substantial.

I'm a big, big fan of Hank's; been reading the cat for years!
I strongly suggest you start with 'Post Office.' In my humble opinion, by far his most important novel, then you should read 'Locked In The Arms Of A Crazy Life' by Howard Souness. This biography really explicates Buck's life to a degree where you can pretty much take off with any other of the writings of Charles Bukowski.
I gotta say; I just love his poems. Read 'You Get So Alone,' you'll love it.
Cheery stuff!

I really liked Factotum and Post Office. I was living a bit off the edge myself at the time so it was nice to read funny stories by another f*** up.

Once the film Barfly came out the Bukowski image thing began to get a bit ridiculous and if you lose symapthy with the main character it's hard to read, but deep down his intellect shines out through all the bs

Its hard to sympathise with him though isn't it. He is repellant.

Bukowski's humanity is that of the everyman who finds himself in ridiculous situations. The world Buk' exists in, is MORE repellent.

All hail the losers!

Literary snobs hate Hank and they make no bones about it; well let THEM read Proust, that's what I say!

I suppose its hard for me to see him as a loser (although he certainly is) because I read Women, where he is wealthy and with lots of different women etc..

So he is simply repellant and abusing the trust of good hearted people.
I just can't sympathise with him as he is selfish and cruel. So I suppose he's a loser getting his own back is he??

'Women', is the cat's worst read!

You picked a bummer to begin with!

Throw that fiction in the corner and grab a real book. You can always re-visit 'W', perhaps you'll get a different perspective on it.

Good Luck!