Hollywood

by Charles Bukowski

Book Overview

Hank and his wife, Sarah, agree to write a screenplay, and encounter the strange world of the movie industry. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0857860895
• ISBN13: 9780857860897
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Canongate Books
• Length: 263 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Entertaining but not his Best

I'm not sure exactly what to say about Hollywood. I certainly enjoyed it and always appreciate Bukowski at some level. In terms of his novels, I'd place this one behind Factotum, Post Office, and Women. Ham and Rye I have not yet read but will...unlike Pulp (whose subject matter does not appeal to me). I think that Hollywood's lack of edge--in comparison with his past achievements--reflects his newfound personal domesticity at the time it was penned. He was living with Linda (Sarah), and moving out of the low rent digs that formed the infrastructure of his life so it's a more sober work than the rest. Indeed, he was an older and more sober man in the eighties and conscious of his own mortality. The narrator mentions that Linda's presence gave him an extra 10 years and he may have been right about that. There's still some of the old joy in these pages though. Several scenes will make you smile and laugh aloud such as the name of his initial screenplay "The Dance of Jim Beam." The bottom line is that Bukowski is always worth the effort.

The original barfly

Bukowski's humor is razor sharp in this book ostensibly on the making of "Barfly." Bukowski was enjoying some measure of success and even respect by this point, and was approached by Schroeder to write the screenplay for a movie about himself. Bukowski was of course flattered and took up the challenge. His books and poetry have always been about himself in one form or another, but here was his big chance to imagine himself on screen.Bukowski takes you step by step through the making of the movie, with a sardonic eye for the details. Schroeder and his pal tried to get in touch with the lower east side of LA, which Bukowski enjoys poking fun at. He wasn't too keen about having Mickey Roarke cast as himself, he had Sean Penn in mind, but was smitten with the idea of Faye Dunaway as his love interest.The book doesn't plunge to the lower depths as do his short stories and poetry. Bukowski keeps himself semi-detached from the subject of his early life. The book, like the movie, looks back at these formative years in a wry way that has a number of amusing twists and turns. He ends appropriately enough with the screening of the movie, with much of the gang invited to attend, making a party of it down in front of the screen as they assessed the film. Not bad, Bukowski concluded.

I Wish He Was Still Around

This had to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read in years. It's actually based on Bukowski's life and the events that lead up to and involve the making of his movie "Barfly." It's totally off the wall, but Bukowski's take on Hollywood's own particular brand of insanity is probably just as true today as it was when Charles Bukowski penned this masterpiece of the absurd. Definitely a great book from one of my favorite writers. Highly recommended!

barfly movie making process story

excellent story about how charles' BARFLY movie came to be. written in all honest candor and the trials an author has to endure throughout the system of getting this completed

Drunken Hilarity

I picked this novel out in the library when I was a teenager. Nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced with Bukowski. It was unexpected, to say the least. From an innocuous cover and title that exploded into the hilarious story of a drunk, his wife and a screenplay, I had to put the book down several times from laughing so hard. It would inspire even the stone sober to crave a drink.Chinaski doesn't seem to like much about life, save for booze. He and his wife swim in an alcoholic haze throughout the winding tale. The novel was based on Bukowski's experience with the writing for the movie 'Barfly'. The narrative here is patchy, the storyline not so important, and the novel ends up being not much more than an endless recalling of drunken days and nights, strange characters, and interesting occurrences as a result of them. I am now a devoted Bukowski fan and nothing I have ever read by him has let me down. His humor is unmatched. He is vulgar, disgusting, entertaining and simply brilliant. While not for everyone, he comes highly recommended. Grab a bottle and settle in for a good time.