First published 1999
Bukowski's anti-hero Henry Chinaski navigates the seedy underbelly of LA, finding solace in booze, women, and the written word. As he struggles against his own demons and the indifference of the world, Chinaski must decide whether to succumb to the fire or forge his own path. A raw, unapologetic portrait of the artist as a self-destructive man.
Genres: american-fiction, addiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: anti-hero, self-destructive-protagonist
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 20th-Century
416 pages · Paperback · Ecco Press
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse, substance-abuse