post office: A Novel by Charles Bukowski Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of post office: A Novel
Book Review: IT BEGAN AS A MISTAKE
Summary: 5 Stars
"IT BEGAN AS A MISTAKE". So goes the first line in POST OFFICE, a line destined to become a classic the moment Bukowski gets his due as the greatest American writer of the 20th century. The first novel in what turned out to be a prolific 5-decades long literary trek, POST OFFICE explores the drudgery of mail-carrying in Los Angeles with sardonic humour and pathos.
It's too bad that the little boys at [...] can't appreciate the writer's mind-set. They spend their time discussing the cash value of Bukowski's rarer signed works, rather than the themes and characters that he so masterfully outlines. The moderator, a failed "musician", "artist" and "writer", is also bitter over having been "spurned" by Bukowski's long time publisher, who refused to enter into wacky ventures that would have done nothing but besmirch Bukowski's reputation and legacy.
For a fuller treatment of Bukowski's work theme, see FACTOTUM, his masterful treatment of low-end working-class drudgery.
Book Review: Love him or hate him... he's funny
Summary: 4 Stars
This is classic comedic literature. Hank, the main character, walks through life in a way that any burned out, working stiff can relate to. I was laughing out loud many times at the hilarious observations and how much I could relate to it. If not great and profound, accept it for being hilarious and profane. However way you look at it, it's well worth the read.Book Review: Lull-lacking, in-your-face kinda book
Summary: 4 Stars
Ahh, another one of those one-day books from start to finish... that tells me the story was engrossing. It was hard to put the book down after lunch break and go back to work. The book is a straight-forward, in-your-face, drunken-eyed story of the debauchery of a man who keeps finding himself back at the Post Office, whether he likes it or not.
The sex and general debauchery within are expected by the reader, so one shouldn't be shocked by the onset. Thankfully, it's not detailed raunch. Perhaps we can relate to this man - he, too, has highs and lows and we should be thankful we don't have his fascist bosses (actually, we all probably do have fascist bosses like his).
Because the story was so straight-forward, no-time-to-breath, watch-what I'm-doing kind of book, I sort of missed the lulls which accompany such action. Lulls can be entertaining, too.
Book Review: Not for the light of heart
Summary: 5 Stars
This book will take the naive smirk off your face before you even get through the first act. It should be mandatory reading for college seniors to prepare them for the 'real world.' I recommend buying it so you can reread it when you need to be reminded that you can love living even when nothing goes the way you want it to. Forget The Secret and all the think positive nonsense out there. Bukowski will teach you how to be miserable happy.Book Review: Not the Best
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm not giving this book two stars because I'm one of those Bukowski-haters. I love his writing. But this isn't the best book of his that I've read. I believe it was published fairly early in his career, which might indicate better was to come from Bukowski. If you don't own any Bukowski books, I'd advise you to buy "Run with the Hunted" rather than this one.