Rating: 
Summary: Bukowski as "Survivor"
Review: I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Ham on Rye by Bukowski. I'd read some assorted poems and short stories of his that I found amusing because of their bluntness and coarseness. I found that Ham On Rye was much in the same vein: that is, the story of a non-comformist who has to pay the price in America for not selling out and becoming just another salesman or suit. Bukowski needed to follow his own music. This book is obviously autobiographical, and it depicts his rough and sad childhood: his abusive father who wouldn't cut him any slack, his skin condition that pock-marked his face and made him feel like an outcast, his alienation from school and his classmates, his alienation from most of America and the values America holds most dear: being the "alpha dog," the big "winner." Bukowski in effect is a foreigner in his own land, a socially isolated individual who escapes the cruelty of people by eventually becoming a writer and indulging in drink -- while longing for a poetry that our banal consumer society tries to squash. I love this book. It's an easy-to-read and very personal novel, which would probably be marketed today as a "memoir." I know Bukowski is NOT read in college and that's because he's generally "anti-New Yorker," anti-understatement. He's the John Belushi (think of Pluto in Animal House) of literature. His characters WILL COME OUT TALKING, LIKE THIS!!.. Reading Bukowski is an intimate experience, like reading the work of a friend or watching a friend's home-movie. He's largely a self-taught artist so his work is sometimes rough, sometimes over-the-top, sometimes sloppy -- but always full of humor and always largely entertaining and loads of fun. This is my first Bukowski novel, but it certainly won't be my last! So crack open a brew, shut off that stupid TV, kick back in your dirty shorts and read Ham on Rye. I also agree with the reviewer who recommended The Losers' Club by Richard Perez, another lively, funny novel that I could relate to.
Rating:
Summary: Bukowski at his best!
Review: Most fans of the late, great Charles Bukowski, myself included, list Ham On Rye as their favorite Bukowski novel - and rightfully so. This novel is actually a thinly-veiled autobiography of the man we knew and loved as "The Bard of Booze and Broads." We see through the eyes of young Henry Chinaski as he comes of age in Depression-era America, the product of a dysfunctional and physically abusive household. From his early childhood as a desperately lonely, yet antisocial little boy to his adolescence (where he struggles with crippling acne and develops a love of literature), we see the genesis of a great writer. Bukowski pulls no punches (no pun intended) in his descriptions of abuse suffered at the hands of his father, a coldhearted, arrogant, sadistic SOB. The reader is drawn in to Bukowski's passionate determination to be the exact opposite of what proper society tries to mold its youth into. A powerful and heartbreaking read. Great work, Buk! R.I.P - you will be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Undisputed mastery in narration...
Review: At one point in this book, the main character has started a reading mission by going to the library, picking out books (mainly the "classics") and reading them frantically. Later on he comments on these "classics": ".....they are all a massive pretentious pomp about not much". Now, that is a heavy, ultraheavy statement to make when it comes to "classics". While i have the same opinion i also think that if you're going to deliver a hardcore critique like that you better be able to back it up. Bukowski does so in an overwhleming way not only in this (autobiographical) novel but basically in all his books. The thing about Bukowski is that his writting is so direct, so mercilessly direct in fact, that you feel more like watching a film rather than reading a book. Take the story in "Ham on rye" for example: this story for all intends and purposes is not an extraordinary story. By no means. Stories about poverty or growing up in financially dire times (like the 30s in America) can be found aplenty. Stories about abusive or clueless parents (or both) also abound in literature. Stories about discovering sexuality during teenagehood just as well. But in the end, no matter what the story, extraordinary or not, what matters is who tells it and how. Someone can start telling you the most incredible story and still fail to grab you with it. Bukowski could be talking for 4 pages about some "chick" he saw working as a clerk somewhere and the fantasies he has about her and you'll be totally engulfed in reading it. Or, he could be describing something as mundane as a football game and the bravado involvd in it and you'll feel like being right there standing next to a linebacker and due in for a hard hit. All this is intimidating and charismatic enough but when Bukowski spices it all up with his cynical and ruthless humour the sum is almost always a masterpiece. I've read quite some of his novels and regardless of the theme what always gets me is the power of his narrative. This guy can be compared to an elite few in that sector and those few would have very little to do with "classics" but more with writers who came straight from the underground of their time and who have the gift of being able to take in every important detail of what they are observing. "Ham on rye" is basically Bukowski growing up in the 30s while a crisis is at its peak, with a father who has made it a mission to beat him up systematically so he can become "worthy", a mother who's as clueless as your nearest wall, and a case of horrible acne (the "worst on the planet" he says) which condemns him to outsiderdom . But acne or no acne, Bukowski was an outsider anyway. He never "fit-in" exactly because he was beyond most of the people around him. He saw things they never saw and grasped things they never even suspected they were there for the grasping. It's also about a young Bukoswki discovering the opposite sex, and the drive that basically makes this planet go round, and it's simoultaneously a young Bukoski forming his first sociological conclusions which -predictably- are quite detached from the mainstream. If you've never read this author start here. It might be widely under discussion what his best novel is, but thsi one is one that easily combines all his talents in a hilarious, often explosive and then again bitter package. Those who claim that once you read "Ham on Rye" you'll want to read all his novels are absolutely dead on.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing, sometimes repulsive read
Review: This was the first Bukowski book I've ever read, and I don't plan for it to be my last. I picked up this title because I'd read that, at Christmas, Bukowski's books are among the most stolen from NY bookstores. I love to read books that end up banned or those that end up stolen, usually because they're astounding pieces of work, and this book was no exception. Henry utterly hates life (especially his father), and it's easy to see why. Through Henry's eyes, the reader sees and feels some terrible things -- Henry's beatings, the treatments for his skin, the repulsive traits of fellow characters. The book will leave you drained and angry because the images Bukowksi gives you are very vivid, some bordering on disgusting. It wasn't until after I read the book that I learned it's a thinly disguised bio. No wonder Bukowski's tone is bitter and fierce; if you read this, you'll see why. I couldn't help altering my feelings for Henry at almost every chapter. You get one side of Henry in one chapter, and in the next, you'd swear it was a whole new character. Henry isn't a very complex character, but his observations are. One of the saddest parts of the book comes when Henry's skin treatments end; the nurse who performs his therapy seems to be the only person in the entire book that cares about him, albeit in a medical capacity. Bukowski shows us a seamy side of life with rich descriptions and chracters that no fiction writer could create. Can't wait to try more of his books!
Rating:
Summary: Ham On Rye
Review: The book "Ham On Rye" is about a young teenage boy named Henry. Henry is experiencing the normal occurences that a teenage boy his age does. But theres other not normal things happening to him, he is abused by his father and as a result of the abuse he gets involved in alcohol use and violence. This novel was appealing to me because the book immediatley had a sense of humor that fit me well. It also unlike many other books was very funny. This is what seperates "Ham On Rye" from many other books in my opinion. I found myself not wanting to put down the book, for example a 10 minute reading session would turn into an hour session in just what seemed like seconds. I think for this book to be appealing to the reader that the reader has to have a different type of humor to them. Overall this book was very good and I am looking forward to reading it again. TyRease James--Da Dirty D
Rating:
Summary: Up Through the Darkness!
Review: HAM ON RYE is the semi-autobiographical story of Charles Bukowski and his unhappy childhood. It's written in a very easy-to-digest style using simple language and may be his easiest-to-read book. It details his relationship with his abusive, hard-ass dad, his skin condition that made him feel like a freak and an outsider, his problems at school, his resistance to non-conformity. It's the story of a survivor, a loser who would never lose by giving up! It's a very moving, sad, engaging story -- one I recommend to all writers and "outsiders" alike. Through the darkness, Bukowski's humor shines through, his determination not to live by anyone else's rules -- to be his own man. Be honest now, isn't that why we love him?! This is a great book, the flipside of the "American Dream" sell-out. I also thank the reviewer who suggested the other Amazon quick-pick, THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez, much in the vein of Bukowski.
Rating:
Summary: Ham On Rye
Review: The book "Ham On Rye" is about a young teenage boy named Henry. Henry is experiencing the normal occurences that a teenage boy his age does. But theres other not normal things happening to him, he is abused by his father and as a result of the abuse he gets involved in alcohol use and violence. This novel was appealing to me because the book immediatley had a sense of humor that fit me well. It also unlike many other books was very funny. This is what seperates "Ham On Rye" from many other books in my opinion. I found myself not wanting to put down the book, for example a 10 minute reading session would turn into an hour session in just what seemed like seconds. I think for this book to be appealing to the reader that the reader has to have a different type of humor to them. Overall this book was very good and I am looking forward to reading it again. TyRease James--Da Dirty D
Rating:
Summary: Ham on Rye
Review: Ham on Rye is based around the troubles that go along with growing up, in the normal blunt, coarse Bukowski way. The main character, Henry Chinaski, is abused by his father and has trouble fitting in with the guys at school. This book tells it how it is growing up and expirementing and all the difficulties that come along with it. Bukowski talks about what the reader wants to read about. The book is not sugar-coated and tells about what really gets talked about and remembered from the school years. The writing style is very interesting and different, sometimes with sentence fragments and two-page chapters. The reader really gets into the anti-American outcast mindset of the main character. This book would appeal to most males 15-up.
Rating: 
Summary: Unnecessary
Review: I have to say I was a bit disappointed with Bukowski's autobiography. It lacked the humor and immediacy of his other writings. Not sure why he felt the need to lay out his life in such explicit terms, especially since his books generally tend to be autobiographical. He is at his best in books like Post Office, which have a James Thurber quality, albeit a bit raunchier in his take on life. Still, it is his poetry and short stories that stand out. Bukowski had a way of capturing those odd moments like no one else, even when delving into the seemier aspects of his life. But that ability was sorely lacking in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Uttlery Fantastic
Review: I won't bore you with a full detailed explaination of the book or gush for line upon line about how great it is. This book nor the author don't need it. I will just simply say he is absolutly fantastic, a sheer joy to read!! Everyone should try him once.. I say once because the first time will be all that it takes to make you a fan!!
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