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dumortier's review against another edition
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
foxclouds's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled with this book. I loved Volume 1, but this one turned out to be a way more messy, confusing, and gory. Lets just say that I found it rather difficult to stomach some of the themes of the stories. I read only half of them and skimmed some others, but after having it around for 3 weeks, I realized that I am not going to finish it.
So here we go. Wish I could say I loved it as much as I did Volume 1, but alas.
So here we go. Wish I could say I loved it as much as I did Volume 1, but alas.
veryliterary's review against another edition
3.0
Mixed feelings on this posthumously compiled book of various Bukowski essays, short stories, and poems, which also included segments from his popular column “notes of a dirty old man”. Let me explain:
I feel like Bukowski is one of those authors who inspires very few mellow or “meh” opinions — an example is this collection of stories. Most of the stories I loved, only one or two neutral, and the remainder I hated (the ones that felt like they were left previously unpublished for a reason). Very few inspired wishy-washy feelings or a simple “pretty good”. That just isn’t his style. What can I then say about this book? Or about Bukowski himself? This is the man who has people worshipping the ground he walks on while others are shouting “alcoholic chauvinistic pig!”. Both are probably in the right. And so where do I stand on him? Can I call myself a Bukowski fan all the while hating a good portion of his published work? Are our favorite authors then only allowed to be those whose work we consistently enjoy or find “good enough”, because our love for another is too inconsistent and the quality of their work unreliable? Bukowski might very well be one of my favorite poets, but I certainly dislike enough of his work to be concerned about aligning myself with him in this way, “committing” to him as a favorite. So here we have the conundrum presented by authors who spark passion — intense appreciation or detestation, who don’t deal in the safe, in the “generally agreeable”.
And so here I go...giving the collection of stories by one of my favorite writers a 3⭐️ rating because I find myself stuck.
-Read in 2020-
I feel like Bukowski is one of those authors who inspires very few mellow or “meh” opinions — an example is this collection of stories. Most of the stories I loved, only one or two neutral, and the remainder I hated (the ones that felt like they were left previously unpublished for a reason). Very few inspired wishy-washy feelings or a simple “pretty good”. That just isn’t his style. What can I then say about this book? Or about Bukowski himself? This is the man who has people worshipping the ground he walks on while others are shouting “alcoholic chauvinistic pig!”. Both are probably in the right. And so where do I stand on him? Can I call myself a Bukowski fan all the while hating a good portion of his published work? Are our favorite authors then only allowed to be those whose work we consistently enjoy or find “good enough”, because our love for another is too inconsistent and the quality of their work unreliable? Bukowski might very well be one of my favorite poets, but I certainly dislike enough of his work to be concerned about aligning myself with him in this way, “committing” to him as a favorite. So here we have the conundrum presented by authors who spark passion — intense appreciation or detestation, who don’t deal in the safe, in the “generally agreeable”.
And so here I go...giving the collection of stories by one of my favorite writers a 3⭐️ rating because I find myself stuck.
-Read in 2020-
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