Women: A Novel

for a long time i've resisted reading bukowski becuase i sort of thought it might be a bit adolescent . How wrong can you be .This was superb honest and moving .A real account of real relationships and real existence. It's also very funny at points . The narrator chinski is unfailingly honest about himself and the live he leads which stops the book becoming a series of macho conquests .The women give as good as they get in the main and chinski comes across as less of an aggressor and more of a victim of his own desires (as men in real life generally are ) He also allows himself to be very vulnerable, which is what is missing from almost all literary novels .The authors have the technique down....but not the desire to show themselves in all their disgusting, faded ,glorious, human detail . After reading this i went on to read 'Factotum' , 'Love is a dog from hell and other poems' and 'Ham on rye'. All were quite superb ...particularly ' Ham on rye '. It's been a very long time since i've discovered a writer who makes me want to read book after book ..... and also effects the way you see life . You begin to understand through bukowski that the pain we all feel at times in life, is not some terrible thing fate has singled us out to suffer.... but is a part of life to be accepted. In cocnclusion, I'd give it 6 stars if i could.....

I'm not sure what to make of this book. It seems like one of those authors that's supposed to make you look "cool" if you read him. I think I like it simply because it's really really easy to read... but the content was a little much most of the time. I mean, this guy goes around screwing all these different types of women in all these different types of situations and continues to do it while seemingly hooked up to an alcohol IV. It's pretty unrealistic and quite sad... the book did seem to have somewhat of an arc where my interest started to pique with a certain relationship where "Henry" becomes somewhat more of a human being as opposed to a sex crazed drinking machine. But then he lost me towards the end and the buildup to the "resolution" was rushed and thoughtless. It seems as if he wrote without editing it, desperately searching for this tragic tale to end positively. That being said, it was an easy read and pretty intriguing at times, despite the pulp subject matter. Some parts were rather funny, some parts were boring. I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 3 simply because I think I'll read another one of his novels... give the guy a chance.

Funny in a pessimistic sort of way of the fairer sex. Still, great read highly recommended to anyone who wants a well written book.

Let's start off by saying...Wow. This book was a rollercoaster! I first heard of this book when I watched a behind the scenes documentary on one of my favorite shows, Californication. It was mentioned that Henry Chilaski, main character in the book, was the model for the show's hank Moody. After I read the book, I could not agree more. nail, coffin, done. The book has a no holds barred atmosphere. Not a few pages in and Henry Chilaski is in a whirlwind of violation drinking, drugs and constant sexual encounters. I found myself sympathizing with the Chilaski character as the story goes on. In moments of the book it reminded me of parts of my life. It has a way off pulling you in and then slamming your fingers in the door. Bukowski's renegade and raw approach to writing is known world wide and this book does not hold any punches. It's fast and full of life. I read it in a two night sitting and it left me yearning for more. This book is definitely worth the pick up. It's funny, charming, entertaining, dismissive, angry and rude all rolled into one. I hope you have as much fun with it, as I did.

Good

Everyone knows a Henry Chinaski. Drunk, bad breath, troubled and sloppy yet a chick-magnet because of his brain and, in the protagonist's case, artistic capabilities. *Women* is an amusing book for a guy to read because at some point along the 300 pages there will be that moment of, "ah, that reminds me of so-and-so". Hopefully followed by thoughts of relief that said kook is no longer in the personal picture, so to speak. Females, on the other hand, may not enjoy this book because - in addition to it being crude and lewd - it does not project a favorable image of the ladies and how they misbehave. This is a three stars book at best because Bukowski does write well and never lost my interest. That said, I find it sad and hard to comprehend that Charles Bukowski is considered one of the better writers of the 20th Century. *Women* certainly cannot be an example of an upper-tier work nor was *Post Office*, another Bukowski piece I took the time to check out, any better.

This book was recommended to me by a guy friend who said the knowledge of different women would be enlightening, but it was not. All the narrator's women are to him walking sex objects. (I avoid the more common terms for female sex objects which the narrator would embrace.) The variety of physical features, the style of his intercourse all engross the narrator beyond record. He enjoys the promiscuity of celebrity to the hilt. Confronted from time to time by the ethical, moral, spiritual side of sex, the narrator always dodges out, condemning the world for brutality and meanness, himself the innocent victim of appetite. Near the end of the novel a clear choice arises in a woman he loves, and who wants no infidelity. After openly cheating on her once, she agrees to see him again. The novel ends there, the opportunity for a more humane denouement wasted, since it is plain he has the momentum to carry himself, as he dreams of being eighty and still having interesting intercourse with an eighteen year old. I like sex, too, but this verges on the obscene, certainly a lot of it is pornography.

I've read this twice and it's just fantastic. I love his poetry but this book is great too and has the same blunt and beautiful style as the poetry. The crazy women in this book and the alcoholic life of the protagonist are gritty and hilarious. It's a long meandering story without a real plot other than the endless string of girlfriends the famous poet manages to acquire even though he's old and a hopeless drunk. I wonder how much of it was true... a lot I bet.

Super livre de C.Bukowsky. Je le conseille fortement pour découvrir le genre, le style de l’auteur et découvrir l’homme.

This is his Greatest BOOK / Writing Ever Period. My only issue is with silly stupid cover, I so wish they ( Amazon ) had the orginal Paperback Version or a better looking and more Regal format of this Book and the others, Instead of this wierd silly Neon Version and small typo form of Books. Someday I will own a copy ( Brown Color Version of Women that I saw depicted in a film recently ) of the orginal print of this Book..... With the signature of Charles Bukowski Inside.

I’ll be honest. Not much of a reader my self (probably read 4 books in my whole life), but this is a great book, from a great author. Couldn’t stop reading (took 10 days), very entertaining and easy to read. Totalmente recomendable.

Uma leitura muito fácil.Cômico em muitos momentos e uma dura realidade em outros. Demonstra muito bem o significado do provérbio: "No free lunch" e como mesmo assim, você pode manter um bom humor perante situações difíceis.

I really enjoyed reading a good Book. If you also want to enjoy reading a good Book.. Here it is.. Its just 100% honest if you can take it go ahead