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.
