First published 1989
Henry Chinaski, Bukowski's perpetually down-on-his-luck alter ego, stumbles into the glitzy, cutthroat world of Hollywood screenwriting. Fueled by booze, women, and a compulsive need to gamble, Chinaski negotiates the egos, double-crosses, and backroom deals of Tinseltown, all while struggling to retain his creative vision. As the stakes rise, Chinaski must decide whether to play the game or risk it all for his art. Hollywood is a blistering, darkly comic portrait of the film industry's underbelly, told with Bukowski's signature blend of biting wit and raw humanity.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-comedy, satire
Setting: Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)
239 pages · Paperback · Ecco
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse, drug-use