The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses over the Hills

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Summary: a winner!
Review: I agree with the other reviewer. Contains some of Bukowski's best. Worth buying and keeping for additional readings.

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Summary: This is his best book of poetry.
Review: I believe this is the best poetry book written by Buk. Mabye the best of all his books. But the special thing about his work, is that you can't really seperate the books, but need to see them all as one-lifes-work! There are bad poens, and bad stories, and uninteresting ones, but there are so much good stuff too! And the novels allso arent allways perfect, sole works ... they glide in to the big picture. read the first 1/3 of post-office ... some of the stories in "south of no north, read poetry books like this one + "Play the piano..." "Mockingbird..." "Last night of the earth poems" and when you have finished, just keep reading all the rest as well! (Book no. 7 should be "Ham on rye")

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Summary: not great bukowski but ok
Review: not great bukowski but ok
not the one to read for his most potent impact--better to read this one after you're really into him and can tolerate the stuff that [stinks]

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Summary: This is Bukowski's poetic masterpiece.
Review: This book is Bukowski's finest collection of poetry ever published. As with all prolific writers, Buk's books often come with more filler than sustenance- that is not the case here. The poems written for/about Jane highlight his most soulful collection. The usual mask of nonchalance has been stripped away, along with the chains of his self-created tough guy/barfly image. The tenderness and warmth are unfiltered by his masculine facade. Moving, desolate, and often humorous, this book is nearly flawless. It is written in such a way that anyone can read and understand. It isn't written in a flowery, deeply symbolic style that makes younger readers hate poetry. This book is from the heart, mind and fists of a man who has loved, suffered, hated and laughed. Anyone who has done likewise should be able to appreciate the raw beauty presented within. Make no mistake, the alcoholism, sex and madness that made Bukowski famous are all represented here as well. This is the book to read if you are interested in the most three-dimensional portrayal of the late poet.

Rating:
Summary: Obviously good, but not great
Review: This book of poems is good, there are some great pieces in here, but on the whole i was a bit disappointed, in that it didn't have the kind of impact that something like Burning in Water Drowning in Flame did. I would pass this over unless you are an avid Bukowski fan and try something else.

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Summary: Quintessential Bukowski
Review: This collection of poetry is perhaps Bukowski's finest. It marks a significant transitional period in his work, from the earlier imagist poems--more clearly "poetic" in form and content--to the later style for which he is best known and loved--the raucous, colloquial, hard-boiled pieces that rendered the distinction between prose and poetry seemingly null. The book's opening piece exemplifies this new style and Bukowski's new poetic persona. "What a Man I Was" tells the story of a wild western outlaw who terrorizes a small town and is then hung from the gallows. He is misunderstood, vulgar, and reviled. When the outlaw swings from the gallows, he doesn't express fear, hatred, sorrow, self-pity, regret or uncertainty. He is a staunch materialist who looks at a woman's breasts, mouth watering. The best poems in this collection are those written for Jane Cooney, who died prematurely from a life of serious drinking. These poems betray an affection and tenderness that is typically absent from Bukowski's work and which is often obscured by the hard-boiled exterior of his persona.

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Summary: My first experience with Bukowski
Review: This is actually a collection originally published in 1969. Bukowski is a great writer simply because he can relate the humorous and the tragic with the same skill. sometimes in the same poem. sit around on a warm afternoon and read these out loud with your friends. you won't feel lame for laughing.

Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: Typical Buk poetry, which for most is superior stuff. Not as good in my opinion as Play the Piano... but an excellent collection. If you're just starting out on Bukowski and like his writing, he also writes some cool fiction.