Factotum by Charles Bukowski Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Factotum
Book Review: Bukowski is a genius
Summary: 4 Stars
A classic book of the damned poet Bukowski. Not for people with a weak stomach or prudes. Chinaski (the alter-ego of Bukowski) hops from one job to another, one woman to another, and is steadily drunk.
Some exceedingly realistic moments of the narration make you think that Bukowski has really been in that situation, or that he has a supreme imagination.
Although a little repetitive at times, this book is a necessary read for people interested in the nature of the human soul.
Book Review: Bukowski's best
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read most of Bukowski's work. In my humble opinion this is Bukowski at his bare-knuckle best. You can sense the desperation in his writing. He's young and hungry. Still a contender. I wonder what happened to the elf. I think that I worked with him at Harris Bakery in Maine many years ago.Book Review: Bukowski: My Guilty Pleasure.
Summary: 5 Stars
My two favorite Bukowski books are definitely a toss-up between "Factotum" and "Ham On Rye". They both offer a lot to die-hard Bukowski fans and Bukowski beginners alike. His writing is often a "love it or hate it" type of thing.
If you are a hardcore Buk fan, then you have likely already read this. If you are new to Bukowski, keep in mind, however, that his books are often very graphic and obscene. If you don't offend easily, then this book is a must-read.
Book Review: Can I rate this book an 11?
Summary: 5 Stars
My favourite by the Buk, READ IT!!
Factotum=a person who performs meaningless tasks.Book Review: Chinaski Tests Bottom
Summary: 4 Stars
In FACTOTUM, Charles Bukowski follows his alter-ego Hank Chinaski through a sequence of 19 menial jobs. For each, Buk shows how Hank gets, experiences, and then loses a job, while the core activity in his life is really boozing.
Take, by the way, this description of FACTOTUM. Then, replace the subject of menial jobs with the subject of strangely worshipful women. What you get is a decent description of WOMEN, Buk's hilarious novel about the mature and successful Chinaski. For this reader, Bukowski's ability to write in such parallel structures is almost eerie.
In FACTOTUM, Bukowski presents the young Chinaski, who is just beginning to define himself as a writer and to gain some recognition for his work. In contrast, Chinaski is an established poet in WOMEN and pursued, to his incredulous delight, by attractive but crazy women, who feed his verse. While WOMEN is hilarious, the humor--in my opinion--isn't really there in FACTOTUM. Instead, this novel is a story about sly but self-destructive integrity, with the young Chinaski willing to live a very marginal existence, since this is the life that makes sense to him. I don't think Bukowski is writing with a message. Even so, young Hank is "just saying no" to work until he achieves the work that he wants.
Once again, Bukowski uses a very clear and direct style in this novel. In fact, I don't remember a single striking metaphor or simile in FACTOTUM. In a way, his writing is the opposite of his poetry (I'm reading THE ROOMING HOUSE MADRIGALS), with Bukowski seldom, if ever, pulling a wry or melancholy or thoughtful subtext out a short poetic narrative. Instead, the style in FACTOTUM is straightforward while the voice is consistently that of an alienated boozer who has "realized everything is a hoax" (page 61).
FACTOTUM is amusing but not hilarious. It is also occasionally grim, especially when Bukowski lets Hank test bottom and, oh, say, soil himself. This is an easy read and a good novel but not for the squeamish.