Bukowski Book Haul!

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/ grantlovesbooks
0:00 - Intro
0:46 - Two novels
3:10 - Last Night of the Earth Poems
4:31 - You Get So Alone At Times
5:47 - Dangling in the Tournefortia
9:13 - Septuagenarian Stew
11:55 - What to read?
13:05 - Eng. Lit. at university

[@TheSalMaris]

I'll have to admit I always enjoyed the spirit of Bukowski more than reading him--outside of the early poetry and Post Office. Black Sparrow Press was just too expensive for this once young man who, like you, liked to smoke and drink. Signet Classics were far more affordable, as were the Bard line published by Avon. NOw days I spend even more money on used books--but I digress. Thank you for this Grant.

[@grantlovesbooks]

Hello Sal! I think you've got a good point. There was something about being young and discovering Bukowski. Certain writers really give you a feeling when you read their books, maybe those semi-autobiographical books, because it feels like you are getting to know the actual person. He was good fun for a while, but I wish I hadn't of spent so much time on his books. One of the best things about Buk was his mentioning other writers. I don't know if I ever would have heard of John Fante if it weren't for Bukowski.

[@timhrklittimothyherrickvid169]

one grows out of Bukowski, but one never lets go of him. I always preferred his prose to his poetry, and I don't really take his poetry all the seriously and the posthumous work is pretty thin. No masterpieces in the vault and Hollywood is his last great writing. But, it's worth wading through the bottom of the barrel because you still get his voice. My favorite novel of his Women, which everybody hates but I can't say I go back to it very often anymore. Factotum I did like more than Post Office. His two Black Sparrow short story collections, Hot Water Mush & South of No North are the books I've gone back to more than others. I too discovered him when I was young an falling in love with women and literature and learning how to drink. I consider him a beat, and he has a very interesting perspective on the counter culture and America of his time, you see the aforementioned short stories collections and in Notes of a Dirty Old Man and another collection on New Directions, it has ejaculations in the tile, most of which were underground newspaper columns. Like Ginsberg et al he was a decade older than the generation who idolized him. I'm not sure how important he is though. He writes a lot about writing, sitting at a typer, he was very prolific but I sense a heavy editorial hand in his best work, which is his prose. His poetry is fun, but too often cannot discern between the lyrical and the trite. The obsessive drinking does get tiresome, but what really is creaky is the horse racing. It was the least interesting when I was young and now makes your eyes rollover. the drinking, social alienation, even the sexism gains some deeper resonance with time but the only thing more boring that betting on horses is reading about someone write about betting on horses. Buk's world is gone and maybe is best read as a documentarian than true poet.

[@grantlovesbooks]

Thanks Timothy, I think I feel the same way about everything you wrote. When I was young I thought to be a good reader one had to find an author, and then read all of their work. All of Bukowski, all of Vonnegut, all of Salinger... That went on for a surprisingly long time. It's been such a long time though, I think I had forgotten the constant horse racing stories until you mentioned it!

[@timhrklittimothyherrickvid169]

@@grantlovesbooks I thought I was still reading science fiction when I got to Vonnegut, which was before Bukowski or Salinger. Funny, with Vonnegut, I too read like all his books in that period, then as the reading became literary focused, Factotum just made more sense to me than Catcher in the Rye. I liked his Franny & Zoey stories but always felt he was overrated.

[@debpalm8667]

So glad you survived your youth. Thanks for the chat.

[@grantlovesbooks]

Thanks Deb! It's really wild to look back and ask myself, 'Did that really happen?' One day I hope I can write some memories, for my own remembering, to see how much of my childhood and teenage years I can recall.

[@debpalm8667]

@@grantlovesbooks and share a few with us!

[@grantlovesbooks]

@@debpalm8667 I might, I do have a tendency to ramble away in my videos. You never know what's coming next. If I think of something good, related to the book I'm talking about I will remember to include it for you!

[@debpalm8667]

Hi there! Now I will watch.😂

[@grantlovesbooks]

Thanks, as always Deb!

[@CristinaInNeverland]

(8:22) It's called decency. (11:43) of course we all did, I did, and I still do! Ah ah, we can't take ourselves too seriously! 😏

[@grantlovesbooks]

Thanks Cristina! I've just learned a little about libraries offering money to authors for their 'collection.' Letters, diaries, really anything at all they are willing to give to have preserved, analyzed and sorted forevermore. Hope you are well, it has been HOT here!

[@CristinaInNeverland]

@@grantlovesbooks I fully subscribe to what you said in the video about these matters. As for the heat, Grant, uffff, the last two days it was a little too much too, around 29/30ºC (about 84.2/86ºF), but Lisbon in the summer is sometimes much hotter. I went to check and curiously, in the last few days, in your location it has been similar, despite being at a higher latitude than ours (we have a more Mediterranean climate with some Atlantic nuances, which, on the other hand, gives us a certain thermal amenity) but you, despite being further north, are also moderated by an oceanic influence, probably due to Pacific currents, which gives you milder winters than other places in Canada and cooler summers. (upss geographer's vices! I'll stop right now!!!). I'm not a fan of too much heat, I prefer cooler temperatures, for me the ideal is below 23ºC! (Spring time, here), I suppose that by what you said, you’re not a big fan of warm weather either!

[@grantlovesbooks]

@@CristinaInNeverland When I first came to BC I used to complain that because the summers and winters were so mild I could hardly recognize a year passing. This was true, a little snow, a few days of tolerable heat, and one more year gone. But now the summers have become really hot. Budapest was always exceptionally hot all through August and well into September, so I don't complain too much, and actually enjoy the heat when I am outside. But being at home in a small apartment is awful. We had to buy an air conditioner. It's frightening how quickly the world is warming. I hope you are well in beautiful Lisboa! Sorry about Portugal losing to France. We've been watching the Euro Cup the last few weeks and enjoying it.

[@CristinaInNeverland]

@@grantlovesbooks ah, you've been following the Euro! Of course, around here, during those days, it’s madness! 😁 many bitten nails on my account! but well, we won in 2016, and precisely against France 😏 Next time, perhaps! Take care!

[@nikkivenable73]

Hi Grant! I’ve only ever read Ham and Rye but didn’t care for it. However, I do like some of his poetry so I’d like to give a novel another chance. Which one should I go to next? Also, my gawd are you well-read or what? You are impressive and make me want to read more, but mostly, wider/deeper.

[@grantlovesbooks]

Hello Nikki! I really liked his novel Factotum, it's filled with a lot of crazy stories. Post Office, I really don't recall it very well, but that was his first novel and has a lot of what people like about Bukowski. I guess I am well-read, although there always seems so much more to discover. My goal is to read really broadly. That's why I could never be a university professor, they have to specialize in their small area of interest, and it seems like a strange thing to do, if someone really loves literature. One of my favourite things is to go from country to country to see how different authors tell stories, and hopefully also get a little bit of their history and culture as well.

[@nikkivenable73]

@@grantlovesbooks I will add Factotum to my wishlist. See, I should do as you do. I am trying to read more broadly the older I get and it's pretty cool, actually, but it took me too darn long to do that and truthfully, I don't do it enough. I have weird hangups...case in point: Earlier this year, I picked up a book called North Woods that was published in 2023. I typically NEVER buy books/read books written after 2015. I just happen to think they're derivative and not written very well...I've been burned too many times. Well, a book reviewer said to run out and buy it and read it and not to look back and I thought, hmmmm, I'll give it a go and do you know that that is the ONE book that I think about almost everyday? I finished it in October of '23 and I think it may be in my top 5 books I've ever read? WTF? I need to get out of my own head and stop making these boundaries for myself of what I can/cannot/should/shouldn't read. How many other great books from contemporary authors have I now missed out on? Or what great books from other countries have I missed out on? Ugh, I rambled. Always good to talk to you!

[@grantlovesbooks]

@@nikkivenable73 What a nice story, I'm glad that you had a good experience. I just had a quick look for North Woods, it looks interesting, I will put it on my list. I suppose Factotum is good if you really want to see what Bukowski is all about. I just don't think I have much time for him these days. But it is very easy to read and you can probably get through it quickly.