Women by Charles Bukowski – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Fat, ugly fifty-something Henry Chinaski is a degenerate drinker, gambler and womaniser residing in downtrodden East Hollywood. After a lifetime spent toiling in menial jobs, he is finally making a living as a writer. His routine entails rising at noon, drinking continuously, and then fuelled by booze, penning poetry and novels at night.
By our protagonist’s own admission, he has had little success with the opposite sex. That is until now. What with him having become suddenly trendy, he is also desirable. Women, generally young ones, are flocking to Chinaski. And the ageing lowlife with the sexual appetite of an eighteen-year-old is enjoying himself. We follow his escapades, which entail becoming an expert at cunnilingus and travelling around the country reading poetry while downing copious amounts of alcohol.
Bukowski’s alter ego might be a loathsome creature, but he has appealing attributes such as his innate humanity and self-deprecating nature. While Chinaski could be deemed to be misogynistic, what with his constant use of the word c#&@ and all-consuming desire to bed women, he is also appreciative of the females who spend time with him and he is evidently somewhat in awe of the opposite sex.
The concise writing and visceral prose style appealed to this reader who, though of the opinion that the novel does get a little repetitive in its latter stages, is adamant that Women is one of the author’s finest works.
