Review
'A treat for existing fans and new readers alike.' --Preview
Review
'Exhaustive and very moving - a remarkable portrait of an American true-blue original.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Howard Sounes wrote what he hoped would be the definitive Biography of Charles Bukowski. Not ever having met Bukowski himself, he took to the road and talked to friends and family alike and built up a picture of the Bukowski legend. The results are very impressive.
This book is heavily based on Bukowski's already autobiographical novels and poetry, often quoting from Bukowski's published works. But Souness has tied the real identities of friends and lovers with a lot of the characters in the novels, and has described the places where Bukowski was living and writing. There are also some interesting stories on how Black Sparrow press was set and Bukowski being bought his first computer for Christmas.
At times this is an intense read. Sounes stays objective showing tht Bukowski wasn't always the greatest friend to have in the world all the time but other times it shows how much he cared for people, for his daughter and for close friends.
More than anything, it provides additional information to that found in Bukowski's books, and a backbone to the stories which have become legends over the years.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Riveting from start to finish this book is an engaging insight into one of the greatest ever twentieth-century American writers. The biography is pacy and compassionate whilst at the same time showing that the great Buk really was a pain in the backside - but if he was any other way, he probably wouldn't have written as well as he did. Highly recommended to anyone with the faintest interest in Bukowski. Check out also 'Art, Survival and So Forth: The Poetry of Charles Bukowski' by Jules Smith
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a magnificent biography of Bukowski, a writer who turned his life into fiction, twisting the story ever so slightly in the process. What the author does is untwist the tale, sorting fact from fiction, and making Charles "Hank" Bukowski come alive as a fallible but endearing personality.
With frequent quotations from Bukowski's writing, and contributions from all the important people in his life, this is a literary biography that grips the reader, entertains and educates. It is also commendably succinct, written somewhat in the style of Bukowski, as a tribute to him, so short sentences, paragraphs and chapters and lots of dialogue and anecdote. If you love Bukowski, you will relish this life of Hank.
With frequent quotations from Bukowski's writing, and contributions from all the important people in his life, this is a literary biography that grips the reader, entertains and educates. It is also commendably succinct, written somewhat in the style of Bukowski, as a tribute to him, so short sentences, paragraphs and chapters and lots of dialogue and anecdote. If you love Bukowski, you will relish this life of Hank.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Charles Bukowski
Extremely comprehensive biography; all the more interesting because of the autobiographical nature of Bukowski's writings.
Published 21 months ago by Ms. W. V. Hallam
glad i bought it
a satisfying book in many ways; as an adjunct to Bukowski's wonderful work it seemed to help create more of a whole picture of his work and the feeling and experience behind it. Read more
Published on 14 May 2010 by minty
Locked in the Arms of Bukowski
It seems obvious to me that this is the outstanding biography of Charles Bukowski. Firstly, it is very well-written. Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2006 by smudge
my 2 cents
personally I didn't really get a lot from this. but then, Sounes has his work cut out to find anything interesting about Buk's life that Buk didn't already write about at least... Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2005
Almost as enjoyable as Bukowski's novels
It reads very well, and with a wealth of entertaining stories and anecdotes, I found that I enjoyed this almost as much (and for much the same reasons) as 'Ham on Rye', 'Women'... Read more
Published on 8 May 2001 by Mr. S. K. Cadman
A compelling and essential read for Bukowski fans
O.K. So in real life maybe he wasn't quite the great lover portrayed in his novels. One of many facts about Bukowski that Sounes delivers in this compelling and hugely readable... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2001
French feelings about Bukowski
i'm french and i discover bukowski a few month ago. I would like to meet persons who can give me more informations about this man. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 1999
A good bio of a great writer
Here's a story kiddies, please bear with me:
Years ago I was a struggling, naive graduate student in English at a major southern university. Read more
Published on 8 May 1999
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