Oooh! I always love your recaps, and I did a short recap of my own this year, too (I can post below if interested. Some thoughts about these books first though. 1) I find Hot Water Music to be much more compelling than Ham on Rye, if you're looking for more Bukowski. I will say that Bukowski spoke a lot to me as an active alcoholic and drug addict (sorry if that's a bit of an overshare...) but since I have been in recovery it is less compelling. I could see how, if you do not have personal experience with addiction, some of his writing would lose its luster.
Always the best, love to read even the books you don’t like. My reading wishlist is ready for some new additions in parts 3-4.
I never got as enamored w Bukowski as other reading dudes during the years when swear words and self-destructive excess was attractive. He’s like Vonnegut (or maybe, after seeing the awful White Noise adaptation, DeLillo) as authors that get latched onto hardest when they’re found 18-25. I didn’t like Ham on Rye either, but it’s interesting to hear about your revisit in adulthood. I didn’t hate it like I hated Women (or as much as Bukowski hated women). The only thing of his I ever connected with was some of the poetry in Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame.
3) If you liked what you read of Elisa Gabbert and haven't already, check out "The Self Unstable". It was one of my top 10 books of 2020 and honestly, it's probably on my paradise shelf forever. Worth many a re-read.
2) Detransition, Baby is on my list of books to read (and has been for a while but I will get there!!) It sounds like a really thought-provoking book and while I'm sure i'll be provoked by some of it I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth in, so to speak.
Oooh! I always love your recaps, and I did a short recap of my own this year, too (I can post below if interested. Some thoughts about these books first though. 1) I find Hot Water Music to be much more compelling than Ham on Rye, if you're looking for more Bukowski. I will say that Bukowski spoke a lot to me as an active alcoholic and drug addict (sorry if that's a bit of an overshare...) but since I have been in recovery it is less compelling. I could see how, if you do not have personal experience with addiction, some of his writing would lose its luster.
Always the best, love to read even the books you don’t like. My reading wishlist is ready for some new additions in parts 3-4.
I never got as enamored w Bukowski as other reading dudes during the years when swear words and self-destructive excess was attractive. He’s like Vonnegut (or maybe, after seeing the awful White Noise adaptation, DeLillo) as authors that get latched onto hardest when they’re found 18-25. I didn’t like Ham on Rye either, but it’s interesting to hear about your revisit in adulthood. I didn’t hate it like I hated Women (or as much as Bukowski hated women). The only thing of his I ever connected with was some of the poetry in Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame.
3) If you liked what you read of Elisa Gabbert and haven't already, check out "The Self Unstable". It was one of my top 10 books of 2020 and honestly, it's probably on my paradise shelf forever. Worth many a re-read.
2) Detransition, Baby is on my list of books to read (and has been for a while but I will get there!!) It sounds like a really thought-provoking book and while I'm sure i'll be provoked by some of it I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth in, so to speak.