Ham on Rye: A Novel

Our hero is not happened instantly but gradually, after years and years of suffering since the childhood, he came out in the form of charsles bukowski.

reading this book will enlighten his childhood > early age of sufferings and his wondrous simple and realistic viewpoint.

if i were you, i would have started to read this first. it would be a concrete reference for the future readings of bukowski

have good readings
Ozan

Bukowski presents us with a view of life from the "other side of the tracks". I am of the same generation, so I can relate to some of the things, but his young-adult life goes into a world I knew nothing of.

Charles Bukowski was no doubt a talented writer and poet, but this allegedly autobiographical story shows exactly why he lived the life of addicted excess and wretchedness that he did. If we're products of our backgrounds, then his was terrible, and produced a terrible guy, talent notwithstanding. I was tempted to give this two stars, I disliked it so thoroughly, but it is honest and well written, and raw.

Amazing book! Really great look inside the mind of a young boy coming of age at one of our countries most difficult times. The book is a first hand narration of Henry Chinaski; the literary alter ego of Charles Bukowski himself. Beginning when he was a small boy observing his parents behavior and his surroundings to going through puberty, leaving adolescense and becoming a man on his own. Definitely one of the BEST books out there, an absolute must read!

Dark, humorous, and hard to put down. An intimate look into a different yet compelling life with a basic honesty and vulnerability that gets your complete attention from the very first page. So well written that you forget the author is a writer!

As a young immigrant from Belgium, whose mom as a young girl suffered through Hitler's invasion, I connected with this book deeply. His anger, his deep loyalty to his birth country even though he disliked the regime, his lust, his passion for drinking as a necessary fuel for life... I am honestly worried that Bukowski is one of the few authors I can fully relate too. If you haven't read any of his work, this is a great place to start.

This book explains alot about Charles Bukowski's youth and gives explanation to his cynical ( or is it truthful?) view of life. I believe this book is mainly auto- biographical and it deals with his relationship with his cruel father, his terrible case of acne and his life as a young man up until his early twenties. I would not say it is Bukowskis best work (I prefer his short stories), however this book has a sense of completeness and cohesiveness which is not always present in his other work. This book could be a very good introduction to Bukowski's work as it is very readable and enjoyable.

My favorite poet... book is ok, but honestly made me not like him as a person...haha something my college poetry professor said to me about him also, they met long ago... but Charles would probably take that as a compliment haha.... still a great poet

I had read Charles Bukowski's poetry first, and was extremely impressed by his abilities as a writer. This was the first of his novels that I read.
While the writing style is good and the plot moves you along, one of the things that struck me most was how meaningless the story was. It does nothing to inspire or to teach. It is simply a portrait of a man who moves from one fist fight to the next - and is usually the one who starts the fight because he doesn't have enough depth of character to understand himself or other people. It's a portrait of a man who does NOT rise above his surroundings. He hates those surroundings, and doesn't embrace them so much as hold them up as a testament to his pain, like a child dramatically nursing a wound that some other child inflicted, long past the time it really hurts.
The mood is stark and hopeless. The writing style is sharp and brief. There are no beautiful poetic interludes, or any evidence that he's a poet. It's merely the diary of a misanthrope, a misogynist and a hopeless drunk. Reading about his life is like watching someone say, "So there," after driving his car into a utility pole.
His female characters are two-dimensional - a problem many male writers have because they don't entirely realize that anyone is "in there". He refers to them all as "snatches" and "c**ts". He can't have them because he isn't attractive enough, and he longs after them, NOT because he likes them, but because he merely wants them.
When I was done reading, I wondered what I was supposed to have taken away from it. Was it just a snapshot of a life and an attitude that makes the reader recoil? The point was NOT that he rose above anything despite desperate circumstances, because he let his circumstances win. Was his point that we can't ever understand his genius because of his unique and noble suffering? That we should understand that he could do nothing to prevent his wasted life?
Sure he could. His abusive father and his weak (and poorly developed as a character) mother give him an unhappy home, but he doesn't describe anything that would have been insurmountable.
I did not find a large soul behind the words in this book. I found a small one. I found a man who is petty, and spiteful and weak.
Maybe THAT was his point: that someone who isn't much can still find a publisher and convince people to read books about his less-than-noble life and bad attitude.

With every novel he writes, Bukowski reveals another chunk of his crazy life. This one centers on his early years, starting at the age of two straight on through high school hell and into college. His discovery of booze and women makes for the strangest, funniest book about survival in the growing up years that I have ever read. Loved every drunken page of it.

I expected it to bring me more laughs and amusement, but it is really deeply sad. Although there are some good funny stories, but they rather leave you sorry and bewildered than lighthearted. I loved it for its frankness and dark portraiture of a hurt child and all the hatred towards inside and outside that comes out of the dissonance with the world.

Hard luck hard drinking Bukowski/Chinaski takes you through the pain and the emotional resignation that spawned his philosophy and writing. After reading Post Office and Factotum I wanted to know more about this man and Ham on Rye delivers the goods.

Many people may find the writing style presented in this book too foul but it is befitting of the character. Contains valuable insight into the male psyche, especially regarding the time period and socioeconomic situation of the characters within. I would suggest this book for anyone who values alternative perspectives.

I just finished reading Angela's Ashes not long ago and while this book was not as good, it was similar. A little more raunchier but I still enjoyed it. I am reading post office now and so far I like Ham on Rye much better.

In the age of political correctness manicured malehood and metrosexuals, this work even now continues to speak with an authentic maleness that is refreshing and honest. The book "Ham on Rye" is a simple narrative whos' directness of tone and economy of works gives an honesty lacking in a great deal of work around now. There are no complex subplots, there are no preachy beleaguering comments about our hero's choices, there is just the tale. Chinaski, the main character could easily journey with the men of "On the Road", but without their beatnik hipness that can so grate. It has that same joy of a narrative as "On the Road", that does not force the reader to some perfect conclusion and thus it stands that test of a classic. It is a book that you could forever reread. Its not an easy book to recommend to friends, it is a book of the outsider, it is similar to "Catcher in the Rye" in that it charts the characters movement from innocence to streetsmart, whilst avoiding "Catchers's" habit of trying to capture teen slang. This is a great book and even, better I feel dangerous walking down the road with it in my hand.

Ham on Rye: A Novel

How a person can remember every detail of their childhood amazes me. No heroes here, just a kid growing up. the book was in good condition. I like the way he writes, or wrote. Every short chapter has a little jewel in it. No wasted words.

My first experience with Bukowski. I was not disappointed. An awesome story about a bitter, rebellious kid that holds nothing sacred and isn't sure why. I likened it to a darker, mature themed "Sandlot". The protagonist is relatable and represents what every boy strives/fears to be. Excellent read.

Some parts of the story was amusing and funny but the bulk of the book was too slow moving. I understand that was how life was during those days but it could have focused on more of the funny events of childhood.