Hollywood

I mean.. it’s a Bukowski novel. 10 stars

And boy does Bukowski know about being an anti social drunk. This book actually is quite funny and barely depraved for Charles and mainly is an excellent overview on how independent movies are made. Basically its a wonder any movie makes it to completion and why so many turn out to be a mess. Hooray for Hollywood!

Funny, candid, crazy account of Bukowski's experience with getting BARFLY filmed. As writer, his role straddled that weird line of 'very involved', and 'not involved at all' with the movie's production -- which is the perfect place for a person like Bukowski, who shows us all of the behind-the-scenes ridiculousness one could imagine for this project. He stays true to himself throughout, which gives us someone to cheer for, throughout the various misadventures. This book is a quick read, and a good one, for anyone who is a fan.

I'm a Bukowski fan, so this may be slanted. I loved Hollywood. I've worked in the business and still do to some degree. Hollywood, though exaggerated at times, rang true to what I've witnessed and experienced during my time behind the lights. But what really stands out is Bukowski's bits of wisdom that may cause a moment of reflection on the reader's part. He has a way of shining a light on a situation, revealing truth and the absolute bizarreness of the movie business. It's fun to try and figure out who his pseudonyms reference in real life. My advice is to wait until you've finished the book before looking them up. It is a work of fiction based on his experiences making Barfly, a favorite movie of mine, as well. Hollywood is a fun read filled with the bizarre that first time readers of Bukowski will enjoy.

This is the final book in a series of 5 novels narrating the life of fictional character Henry Chinaski, who is more or less based on Charles Bukowsi himself. By this time in his life, Henry Chinaski is settled down and fairly successful, and though he is still grossly alcoholic, his conduct is far more acceptable and he is generally civil and productive - finally.. As other reviewers have said, Charles Bukowski's writing provides a model to other writers for clear, simple, and precise language. I found his writing quite enlightening in loosening up some the prose in my own novels. I'm sorry to have finished the series. I have only his final book, Pulp, left to read.

This book wasn't as raw and honest as Ham On Rye. This effort of Bukowski's read like he was tired - jaded. Playing with the big end of town seemed like hard yards for him. I think he didn't belong with the people he was hanging with, and for them he was just the latest flavor to commercialize. Nothing wrong with that for either he nor them, but it seemed to me that he was describing himself at a time when the worst of his life was already over, and it was his take on the worst of his life that has been so interesting. Anyway, it was ok - I finished reading it.

One of my favourite chapters of "Hollywood" was the last -- Chapter 46. This is where Chinaski (Bukowski) seems to really begin to think about things and analyze them. Of course with his last line: "And this is it." it is obvious that Bukowski had this all planned from Page 1. Even with said planning, I would say that "Hollywood" is one of his best books. Much of the essence of the book reads like a primer in the manner of "Dick and Jane" make a movie. The repetition of "the movie's on, the movie's off" is overly simplistic. Although other of Bukowski's works have been published posthumously, "Hollywood" is his next to last novel in his lifetime. It comes off feeling like he had already run out of gas.The intent is obvious and clever enough. Bukowski invokes the Masters --most thinly disguised with just different name spellings to "protect the guilty and/or innocent. Jon-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Pauline Kael, Jean-Paul Sartre, et. al. So we have a Franco-American farcical satire of the entire Hollywood scene. This includes the references to Musso & Franks, Werner Herzog, Charles Manson, et. al. Just as Fitzgerald knew his Hollywood, so did Bukowski know his. As anyone might say, Bukowski is no Fitzgerald, but Bukowski can stand in as a contemporary Fitzgerald. The drink, the dissolution, the writer's torment and mental and moral struggles, the insecurity. All the extras, the hangers-on, the flunkies and the props and some of the swag are there, too. The Hollywood press such as it was and or is. Bukowski has covered the waterfront in his murky way, and "Hollywood" can be read simultaneously with "Variety" and "The Hollywood Reporter."

This is alright, and if you love Bukowski then you should read it, but definitely no where near my favorite. It actually seemed to give Bukowski a clean different look about him... I felt like he became a boring old man trying to keep up with his old dirty image. Sad, but it was sad to realize while reading this. Anyway, read this before watching the movie "Barfly", and if you read this then you must watch that movie... and if you watched the movie already and haven't read this, then read this to understand how horrible the movie was to even Bukowski and why it turned out so bad. It's also great to look up the other actors and directors that at one point wanted to be a part of that movie... it would have been way better of a film and this novel would have been better too if they let another director and actors do it.