The Bookhouse Boys discussion

Very fast read. I think I knocked out 50 pages in like half an hour.

Digging it so far...I like a healthy dose of misanthropy in my coming of age stories.

Agreed.

There is an "efficiency", for lack of a better word, in Bukowski's writing that is neither boring nor simple, but sublime in how it is personable.

This book's less for me about Bukowski's stylistic choices as the details he chooses and how much he explores them. There are entire short stories ripe to be mined in some of these sentences, but Bukowski as often as not is content to let them sit and just add up to a cumulative whole. Visceral stuff. The style and subject matter remind me in a lot of ways of early Richard Price.

Well that's an author I will need to investigate.

Despite the brutality of his childhood, Bukowski seems to recall it in a delicate fashion. It isn't like he is ignoring nor is he sugar-coating the past, but he does include some lucid and touching moments, too.

I agree. And Henry Jr shows a lot of maturity and sensitivity at times, though this may harm him more than help his development. It's interesting that Henry seems to be pretty bright despite his reticence, but, as with so many kids, all he cares about is physical prowess. The stuff with the spider and fly, with the white cat...I saw his reaction coming for both of those scenes, but in a good way, a way that worked with the character. He wonders often at the purpose of cruelty.

Really good move making this the December book, Jason. I think people will be able to pick this up between shopping sprees and holiday travel and still have no problem getting through it by month's end.

Easy with the praise, Dave. Jason will get a swelled head.

This book is the first coming-of-age novel I've read that actually makes me feel nostalgic. This may be my Dandelion Wine.

It's so weird to see this story described on the jacket as Bukowski's "hard-scrabble youth"...here I thought this was just growing up in the suburbs. Except for his asshole dad who beats him all the time, this may as well be about my childhood. I knew every one of these filthy little savages. Oh, and the other big difference being that we were disabused of the idea that we were the toughest kids around early into adolescence when we started getting bused into schools along with kids from the projects.

Why do I hear the Little Rascals music while reading this book?

I'm with you, Dave. Now, I didn't receive the constant "strappings" that little Henry received, but this could be an excerpt from my youth, though you could replace some of the local "toughs" with my own kin, young uncles and cousins, that wanted a younger punching bag, namely myself, for their amusement.

Just downloaded the book after reading the discussion here. I'll let you know how the audio version sounds.

The audiobook is a great experience, narrated by Christian Baskous. He sounds like an old drunk man recalling his shitty childhood with all the lifelessness yet disdain that Bukowski was trying to get across.

I flew through it actually.

I figure most of you have seen an unfortunate individual with acne vulgaris, but I just had to post this as a reminder of how disfiguring and debilitating it is:
https://www.google.com/search?q=acne+...

I can't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable and painful that condition must be, and never mind the social derision an individual must receive.

Matt - I was trying to delete a post I just wrote, and I deleted yours by accident. Sorry!

I am curious as to Matt's opinions on the ending of Ham On Rye.

At one point Jason asked me if I was a degenerate, (I believe that was the word), and I didn't have a clear response to his question. Well, the quick answer is no, I don't believe so. I don't consider myself to be a sociopath or a threat, minor or major to society, and I certainly don't believe I'm a low-life or bottom-feeder sucking at society's tit.


But if by degenerate you are referring to a type of self-loathing which Bukowski had in spades, though he would often use to his advantage even if in a passive-aggressive fashion at times, I would say, "yes". I often struggle with feelings of self-worth, despite the fantastic support system surrounding me, and the wonderful folks I communicate with via these internets.

So, I'm not sure if that answers your question, Jason, but that's a start at least.

I would guess that he meant it in the sense of boozing, gambling, carousing, etc.

Matt wrote: "I would guess that he meant it in the sense of boozing, gambling, carousing, etc."


There was a time in my college years that definitely involved a large amount of boozing while on the constant prowl for companionship. Heck, that carried over into my early 30's, though at a lesser scale. I've never had a problem with gambling as it simply never appealed to me.

Yeah, Rob, I was borrowing the word from the conversation that we were having. It was more by way of "and what's your opinion, Rob?" than singling you out in any way.

About the ending: Aside from containing some of the best writing, I also liked it because of the honesty involved in his boxing match against the Mexican kid, honesty that he felt but couldn't articulate, that he "had" to win, suddenly, this stupid carnival game, and how telling it was that he couldn't win, even when trying his best, against a younger opponent handicapped with a one armed fighter.

There is perhaps an "on the nose" quality, some obvious symbolism, that could be offputting (though not so on the nose that he ever lost out to a one armed man in a fight, obviously.) It wasn't recognized consciously enough to bother me that way. There was no internal monologue about how steep the odds were for him, how he couldn't catch a break, etc. We just got to see how much this "tough guy" struggles, in real life, to win even the most lopsided battles. We see how much of a loser he is.

Link to the show: http://bookhouseboyspodcast.podomatic...