Post

Postman was the debut novel by Charles Bukowski and one of his (few) prose books. It tells the story of Chinaski, the alter ego of Bukowski, and his time working for the United States Postal Service.

Chinaski is, in plain English, a first-rate scoundrel. This character embodies the role of a modern anti-hero and can be attributed a number of less positive traits. The book portrays his day-to-day life at the post office, a job he hated from day one but which would stick with him for many years, his nights of excess, fueled by alcohol and accompanied by various women, and also the way his marriages fell apart, one after another.

The book revolves around this character, and, with so many flaws, what makes this book good? The way Chinaski / Bukowski describes his day-to-day life. His dark and incisive humor makes even the most skeptical reader burst out laughing. Yes, it is a book to laugh at despite dealing with somewhat sensitive topics, such as death, addictions, divorce.

This is a book I would recommend as an introduction to the world of Bukowski – despite everything, it is one of the easiest to read and one of the ones I consider most entertaining. It is 240 pages of Bukowski at his best.

Copied from here.