Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Post Office

This book is fabulous. Very inappropriate and raw. Has excellent commentary on how various groups of people are treated and how work takes advantage of people.

Content Warnings

h_motionless's review against another edition

Go to review page

fast-paced

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

1.5

Post Office is one of those books where absolutely nothing happens. Sometimes, this works, as long as the writing is great and the characters are lovable. This book had neither of those things. The writing felt juvenile (which is understandable, considering that this was Bukowski's first novel), and the protagonist is an asshole drunk rapist who treats women like slabs of meat and is surrounded by other assholes. I don't know about you, but these are not characters that I would consider lovable. The casual racism throughout the book also wasn't great. I acknowledge that this novel is unadulterated and uncensored, as is respected for these attributes, but that doesn't mean it's enjoyable. It's raw, but in the same way that uncooked chicken is raw. I am open to reading more Bukowski, but this one was just not pleasant in any way.

Content Warnings

More...