Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Ham on rye

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Ham on rye by Charles Bukowski

7 reviews

rebeckareads's review against another edition

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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

4.5

Damn, the asshole sure could write.

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dylan2219's review

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dark slow-paced

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

3.25

a kind of toxic masculinity odyssey through the gutters of Los Angeles. Bukowski is an interesting writer if an entirely unvarnished and occasionally uninspired one; he is very spare and careful in his language but not very exciting. His appeal comes mostly from how much you enjoy rolling around in the muck with his deeply unpleasant characters and bitter, corrosive worldview. I think many people look at his work and think “oh, how beautiful! He is giving light and voice to the downtrodden” but frankly this book wades slightly into a kind of bad faith poverty porn territory, as Bukowski is absent of psychology or motivation and instead just presents things on a rusty slab. You couldn’t pay me to return to this universe, though I respect its unrelenting pursuit of honesty at the expense of anything else. Nonetheless his views are odious and he is just as blinkered as the authority figures he despises, it is pointless and ridiculous to “separate art from artist” here as this is clearly autofiction and Bukowski’s pious attitude towards truth and reality is reflected in the way his own life and attitude mirrored his work. You cannot have the work without him and vice Verda. and it seems like he only half-grew out of the stolid, beer-and-piss-sodden, vomit-covered, scarred and bruised tough guy universe he was born into.

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_bxllxe_'s review against another edition

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adventurous 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

3.5

It’s hard to put into words how this book made me feel. I could relate to the passages that reminded me of the “numb” stage of depression. For example:

“I knew that I wasn’t entirely sane. I still knew, as I had as a child, that there was something strange about myself. […] I needed an isolated place to hide. Skid row was disgusting. The life of the sane, average man was dull, worse than death. There seemed to be no possible alternative. Education always seemed to be a trap. The little education I had allowed myself had made me more suspicious. What were doctors, lawyers, scientists? They were just men who allowed themselves to be deprived of their freedom to think and act as individuals.I went back to my shack and drank…”

Bukowski intrigues me even though his words sometimes offend me. I wonder at what ratio nature and nurture influenced his rebellious personality and flaccid outlook on life. He reminds me of Otessa Moshfegh. They write simply but impactfully. Their characters almost uniformly revile humanity, struggle with addiction, and prefer isolation. If I were to start writing, I’d probably write in this same vein. Maybe they reflect my darkest parts back to me. Maybe I take comfort in this recognition.

Content Warnings