Ham on Rye

Bukowski, Charles. Ham on Rye, New York: Ecco, c1982.

Ham on Rye tells the origin story of Henry Chinaski Charles Bukowski’s alter ego anti hero protagonist who is the main character in most of his novels.

It follows Chinaski through his childhood in the depression with his strict very cruel father to his adolescence where he was alienated by his disfiguring pimples and ill-temper right through to the start of his adulthood and the start of his alcoholism.

Like many pieces of literature Charles Bukowski produces Ham on Rye is hilarious and cynical in its outlook on life and early twentieth century Los Angles but it also has this sense of tragedy, regret and nostalgia.

An intriguing novel that might answer some questions why Henry Chinaski and Charles Bukowski are the way they are.

Post Office

Bukowski, Charles. Post Office, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1971.

Post Office is infamous barfly Charles Bukowski’s semi-autobiographical account of his time working as a mail courier.

In is his first novel Bukowski introduces us to his alter ego anti-hero protagonist Henry Chinaski as he takes the reader through his gambling, drinking and womanizing which he uses to counteract the numbness and boredom he feels working at the post office.

Told over the course of over a decade Post Office is filled with cynicism and despair but while Chinaski’s opinion on the world and its inhabitants is never optimistic it is usually very funny.

Post Office is a mixture black comedy, social analysis and tragedy and a great introduction to Charles Bukowski .