Hot Water Music

There is no way to be a Bukowski fan without Hot Water Music in the collection. A book of short stories that will convert you to a diehard fan, if you aren't one already. Having read at least 30 of his book (poetry, short stories and novels) I will forever come back to this book as the one that pulled me in.

Quality was as expected for buying from a "used book store" or goodwill for that matter. But none of the pages are torn and there isn't writing on any on the pages. I love anything by Bukowski anyway, so as long as I could read the words on the pages I'd buy it if the price was right.

One of my many Bukowski books that I have in my collection that I have reD and enjoyed. Charles Bukowski was a writer for the working man and a poet for him as well who managed to crossed over into brilliance. His everyday hum drum or stating facts as they come are with a wisdom and eye into the future and mortality and the thought in the back of your mind “what if” followed by “if only”. Bukowski had a simplistic beauty to him that is hard to ignore.

I'm a huge Bukowski fan, I'm not a scholar or biographer however. I don't pay much attention to when his books were originally published. But one has to be really careful. He recycled a lot of material during his career. Several of the short stories in this book are recycled from his novel Women or he ended up using the same life experiences in Women. Either way, as I've gotten through more and more of his work there are an awful lot of repeats. And a few of the others are pretty familiar to me as well though I couldn't tell you which books I read them in. Some of the problem is who ever keeps publishing the garbage Bukowski never intended for the public. The books is good. It is entertaining. For myself, I think his writing is weakest in the short story form, while I think he is a fine novelist and poet. Many of the stories in this book, while I ultimately like where he takes them, could have done with his much more stripped down poetic style. His short stories also feel the least creative to me. Many of these are just very flat stories about drunks, whores and weirdos. Now don't get me wrong, I can read lots of material about drunks, whores and weridos, but about half these stories feel like material I get from undergraduates in my creative writing class. In other words, there would be a lot of red ink if some of these stories got submitted to me.

love but I love all of Bukowski books. This is about the 16th or 17th book read of his and he hasn't disappointed me yet

I bought this book because it was named by Kristen Stewart as one of her favourite books, at the start i didn't realise what was going on and why each chapter was about totally different things but then realised that the book is a compilation of short stories, get's into a bit of sexual detail so if that's not for you i don't recommend, but overall quite a good book to read.

This kindle ebook edition is mostly ok. I didn't notice any glaring typos. The formatting uses too much space between paragraphs, which interferes with readability in dialog sections — and especially when quoting verse, which happens throughout the book. Examples on pages: 82-85, 115-16, 210. But taken as a whole it's a tolerable ebook edition.

Some entertaining vignettes. Not all of this book is that much fun to read. some of it felt like Charles Bukowski was phoning it in. I say this because I am a bukowski fan. And I know when his work is great and I know what it isn't.

If do not know about Bukowski, this is a good book to start. And if you know, well, you will get more of his tough writing. I read it more than thirty years ago and it still my favourite of the author. You can really say that it is hard to stop once you start moving through the seedy LA with him. Sometimes realistic and sometimes kind of "Pulp Science Fiction", his direct and honest style will surely make his legend last.

His best fiction was non-fiction!

Some great studies in "lowly" characters. Short pieces so easy to drop in and out. Plus if your find yourself in a story you don't really dig then at least it'll be over soon.Some moments of greatness, some less so.

Great stuff from start to finish. Bukowski has a unique way of looking at the world. I don't really know what to say other than I thought it was a great read and my copy is slowly becoming dog-eared as I keep returning to it.

Good price.