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98th out of 103 books
—
64 voters
Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life
by
Howard Sounes (Goodreads Author)
A former postman and long-term alcoholic who did not become a full-time writer until middle age, Charles Bukowski was the author of autobiographical novels that captured the low life--including Post Office, Factotum, and Women--and made him a literary celebrity, with a major Hollywood film (Barfly) based on his life. Drawing on new interviews with virtually all of Bukowski...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
May 2nd 2000
by Grove Press
(first published November 1st 1998)
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If you are a fan examining Bukowski's life is a little difficult. He was not what you could call a ‘good guy’; there was a lot about him that is less than admirable. It’s easy for his critics to take a reductive view of him and his works, the temptation for his admirers is to perhaps give him a bit of a whitewash. However, what this book does is present an unsentimental account of Bukowski’s life – certainly it does not shy away from the many less flattering episodes – yet in a way which shows t...more
Charles Bukowski was a writer who lived in down and out apartments and rooming houses in Los Angeles for for most of his life and endured a succession of menial and demoralising jobs whilst struggling to make a living as a writer. These experiences formed the basis for his literary work which was in large part autobiographical and whilst primarily a poet, Bukowski’s output included short stories, novels and a screenplay. The result is a brilliant record of his shambolic life of relationships gon...more
The book started out rather dull, much of the earlier chapters seemed like much had been sifted from Ham On Rye. But the book was good, I would've liked to have seen more on his parents. At one point near the end the Bukowski returns to Germany for a book event and visits with his fathers brother. This was an intresting moment for Bukowski whose childhood was marred in verbal and physicla abuse at the hand of his father. The book didnt go as indepth as I would expect of a biography (like Maher's...more
He drank but “had little time for drugs”; he could be misogynistic but as soon as he got a woman pregnant the first thing he did was propose; to put things in perspective he was really more of a misanthrope than a misogynist; “when he was sober, Bukowski was quiet and polite, even deferential [but:] when he got drunk – especially in sophisticated company, which made him uneasy – he became Bukowski the bad: mischievous, argumentative, even violent;” he gambled – he once totted up that he’d fritte...more
I enjoyed this biography, but I guess I would rather experience Bukowski from Bukowski's work.
Although I enjoy stories of Bukowski's unapologetic lasciviousness and arrogance, I found the writing in this book dull and scattered. It felt like a laundry list of publications and achievements with a few anecdotes tossed in haphazardly. The best bits were snapshots of Bukowski's writing, but that was too infrequent to get excited about. Despite Howard Sounes, I still want to read more Bukowski - his straightforward language makes me smile in a world of frivolity. "I always liked your hair com...more
Solid and informative, Howard Sounes' biography of Bukowski gets the job done. You'll learn about the man, his experiences, his women, and his writing, but when the title utilizes the word "crazy," there's an expectation the book will live up to its name. This one did not.
With such a dynamic man as the focus, this biography should've been intriguing. The fault is not with the subject but with his biographer: Bukowski's life and controversial writing give plenty of material, but the author wastes...more
With such a dynamic man as the focus, this biography should've been intriguing. The fault is not with the subject but with his biographer: Bukowski's life and controversial writing give plenty of material, but the author wastes...more
Really enjoyed reading this biography. I got quite fond of the old goat Bukowski but he could have kept Freud tied up for days. He didn't do much more than drink and write so this might have been a bit of a boring read but the humour kept it lively and every now and then Bukowski would do something truly horrendous and the pages would fly by. Whatever one may think of his behaviour on occasions, I guess you have to admire someone who can just keep writing no matter what.
I went into this book knowing almost nothing about Bukowski beyond a song by Modest Mouse. While this man is not someone who really should be idolized (abusive towards women, an alcoholic), he lived a pretty interesting life and what pieces the authored featured in the text really whetted my appetite for the work of Bukowski. A really easy read told as a narrative instead of a history/biography.
Entertaining, sometimes funny, gritty, raunchy. My first swim through the "river Bukowski" and it was pretty good for me.
The part about the buffalo chasing him so he had to run and dive over a fence, was hysterical!!
The part about the buffalo chasing him so he had to run and dive over a fence, was hysterical!!
The life of an intriguing personality... written in a fantastic way. I definitely have to read some of Bukowski's work now, it makes me very curious indeed.
an absolute must read for fans of Bukowski. This biography will give you greater insight to his work. Highly recommended.
Another great author biography. The best of the bunch on the subject.
Acabo de empezarlo y ya empezo a estremecer partes muy internas
His Poems never get old. I can read it again and again
Excellent biography of the writer/poet.
May 14, 2012
Anna
added it
quite a good read about his life.
Pretty good bio of Bukowski.
An interesting and very well researched add to the Bukowski biographies although not completely honest and objective one; neutral point of view is more important the stronger the subject matter is. If you like this one I can recommend Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski by Neeli Cherkovski.
A well written book about a fascinating man. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jan 02, 2009
Malvolio
marked it as to-read
I just want a week alone in a dirty apartment with a bottle of whiskey and a couple of tuna sandwiches.....then, this book i will tackle. It lies on the top of my "bio" stack.
A quick and a very engaging read. Having read "Women" recently it was remarkably interesting to gain an understanding of which women in his life represented which characters in the book. This was my second Sounes biography and I haven't been disappointed yet.
Arrived in my mailbox, today! It was like Christmas morning when I saw it sitting there, all packaged up like a little gift from the book elves. :-) Eight bucks (including shipping!) from abebooks.com. AND it's a hardcover!
This biography seemed to me to be more unnecessary than most, considering how much of his own life Bukowski used in his fiction, but I found it not entirely unentertaining.
May 21, 2013
Trung Đinh
marked it as to-read
May 21, 2013
Victoria Tonner
marked it as to-read
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Howard Sounes is the author of biographies of Bob Dylan, Charles Bukowski and Paul McCartney as well as books about crime, sport and the arts.
His first book was the true crime bestseller Fred & Rose (1995), after which he wrote an acclaimed biography of the writer Charles Bukowski, and a biography of Bob Dylan, Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan, recently updated.
His new book is Amy, 27:...more
More about Howard Sounes...
His first book was the true crime bestseller Fred & Rose (1995), after which he wrote an acclaimed biography of the writer Charles Bukowski, and a biography of Bob Dylan, Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan, recently updated.
His new book is Amy, 27:...more
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Apr 01, 2013 12:34am