Reviews

Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski

livrawds's review

2.0

2 1/2 rating really Contrary to my rating I did enjoy this book the only reason it isn’t a solid 3 is because I like his other stuff more and the last few stories felt dragged and repetitive and I much prefer poetry to short story anthologies but the ones I did enjoy were great bukowski is a confounding to me in a good way and even if I don’t fully LOVE his stuff I like the curiosity I get every time and i often jot my musings in my copy of the book of his satirical but also starlingly real perspectives he has he’s some people’s red flag author for a reason and I understand the problems people see but I can’t help but be curious and enjoy some writings of authors like bukowski and I always love a good classic someone else said the time he creates in his books and lived in is so different to now it’s interesting even tho in retrospective it wasn’t that long ago as time is concerned

Two more of his books on my tbr for this year and next year we’ll see how this goes

And I’m back with reading again after a big hiatus yay!

lvlarly's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

seeture's review

dark funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

baxtersegers's review

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

scottsemegran's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

kevin_shepherd's review

4.0

For me, reading Bukowski is like driving by the site of a huge traffic accident where a flatbed semi loaded with overflowing port-a-potties just plowed into a church bus filled with aging, syphilitic prostitutes on their way to confession—you want to see it but you don’t want to see it, but you do.

Bukowski calls these short stories “fiction” but then his chief protagonist is named ‘Charles Bukowski’ so you start to think this is more autobiographical—and then he populates these vignettes with hot, sexy women who are all clamoring to sleep with ‘Charles Bukowski’—and that’s how you know, yeah, it’s fictional after all.

It’s so hard to describe how this collection of short stories made me feel. I’m saying 90% of this [stuff] is completely repulsive—we’re talking a snot pie filled with ball sweat and beans—but every once in a while there’s a tiny glimpse of recognizable decency and honesty… and then it jumps right back to ball sweat and beans.

bolognio108's review

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

rachelevolve's review

3.0

Not a fan of short stories, but love Bukowski no matter what. My favorite was the last one called the Blanket. Bukowski reminds me so much of my late father. They were so much alike.

elsdelrey's review

4.0

every tale gives me the urge to move to italy and drown my sorrows in alcohol and sex. i love charles bukoswki.

marzock's review

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5