Hollywood and Pulp by Bukowski

In my entire life. I've never read every single novel by an author to completion. But then, up until six months ago. I'd never even heard of Charles Bukowski. America's most influential writer. Every book by him I read was better than the last. It was a very strange phenomenon. This guy to me is the perfect writer. His style is simple. His sentences are punchy and ooze with honesty. Perhaps within us all, we all have that kind of fucked up worldview.

Hollywood was his story of writing a screenplay and all of the weird sorts who inhabit the major screen industry in America. And the bizarre characters and scenarios. In typical Bukowski style, it's very raw and honest and the a-list celebrities are thinly veiled by pseduonyms.

Pulp is Bukowski writing in the guise of 'Nick Belane'. A misanthropic private detective who can't solve a case. In fact Belane apparently hasn't even had a case in months. That's until he is hired by a series of weirdos who pay him to hunt down respectively Celine, a cheating housewife, a space alien and a red sparrow that may not even exist. This is by far the most hilarious of Bukowski's novels. Some of the dialogue is brilliant.

From profound remarks such as: ''That bitch. I'm going to nail her ass to the wall'' to dry caustic wit where he's calling a sex-line. ''Can you see something big sticking out?'' ''Oh yeah, my gut.''

The man is inspirational. Strange as it sounds. There's some kind of moral to the Bukowski legend.But whatever it is, I doubt it would do his writing or himself enough justice.

-Michael