Tales of Ordinary Madness: Charles Bukowski

I have read (as far as I know) all of Bukowski's stuff. I love a few of the poems but a lot of them drift over me. It is with the stories that he has won me over. All the novels (especially Post Office and Ham on Rye) are wonderful, but his writing is best suited to short stories (and I would say the novels Factotum and Women, great as they are, are basically a novelised series of short stories...) The best collections of short stories are The Most Beautiful Woman In Town and this one, with this one the more consistent. There are examples of the short story in this book that I firmly believe could not be bettered, enough to make you put the book down for a minute, just to think about what you've read, and just marvel at the sheer word-economical perfection, and how his incredible turn of phrase can sum up inner thoughts and philosophies with a paucity of words. As long as you're not easily offended, there is plenty here to blow you away.

Arrived quickly in great condition, I'm pleased - thank you

A mixed bag of Bukowski. Lots of horse racing, which often went into too much technical detail and therefore right over my head. I sometimes think his interest in the races came down to a desire to impress the hyper-masculine ghost of Hemingway.Animal crackers seems to be the most memorable story for me here. Many other stories had a shaggy-dog quality. Regardless, the quality of the writing is wonderful. If you appreciate the craft and voice of a writer, this is great. If you value the story more than anything else, this will likely be lost on you. Maybe even bore you.If you’re already a Bukowski fan, you’ll enjoy it. But I wouldn’t recommend it as a first foray into the man’s work. Start with Post Office, or Ham on Rye, or explore his poetry, which is both accessible and entertaining.

Charles Bukowski is someone who resonates with me so much, I love reading his material. Yes he wasn't to everyones taste, and a lot of people said he was a drunk (obviously), and someone who lived a 'dirty' lifestyle, whatever, the reading is good.

Can’t go wrong with abit of Charles - delivery was on time and the book itself is nice and neat. I am looking forward to getting stuck in.Thanks guys!

The first book by Bukowski I've ever read. Certainly worth all of those 5 stars even though many reviewers say it's not even his best work... Can't wait to read more of his writing.

I'm a CB fan but a little disappointed in this. It's just ok.

It’s Bukowski. You either like it or you don’t.

Fine 20 year old copy of Bukowski, usually they are threadbare. Quick delivery and secure package.

Bukowski Fans kommen auch hier auf ihre Kosten. Denn selbst die kleinen Storys oder Gedichte von dem Meister sind beeindruckend gut geschrieben. Sie haben Inhalt und sind mit einer gewissen Finesse geschrieben. Er beweist meisterhaft, dass Gedichte nicht nur romantisch sein müssen oder aus Floskeln bestehen müssen-sie können auch rauh und rüde sein und trotzdem schön. Ich habe seine Bücher in mehreren Sprachen gelesen und habe sie trotzdem gut verstanden und gefühlt.

todo perfecto

This was my first indulge into the world of Charles Bukowski. WoW, WoW, WoW.His writing is not for the faint hearted and he certainly is not shy about leaning on the overuse of the 'c' word to capture and maintain his expressive tonality.What an interesting fellow he must have been. This was a fabulous read.

Tales of Ordinary Madness is one of my favourite book! Already readed in Italian, but in English is better!!Shipping very fast!