Ham on Rye

Charles Bukowski

Based on his younger years, Ham on Rye is widely hailed as the best of Charles Bukowski's many novels.

Published in 1982, Ham on Rye is a comical and semi-autobiographical narrative of Charles Bukowski's own cheerless childhood in Germany through to his early years as an adult. We view his world through the character of Henry Chinaski. We learn of his abusive father, a severe disfiguring acne during his high school years and his adolescent discoveries of alcohol, women and the writings of D. H. Lawrence.

Charles Bukowski came to America at age three. His mother was German and his father, an American. He grew up in Los Angeles and had his first novel published in 1944 and began composing his poetry in 1955. Charles Bukowski is one of America's best known contemporary writers of poetry and prose, many would claim he came to be their most influential and imitated poet.

Stuart's recommended Reading:

author: "Charles Bukowski"

title: "Ham on Rye"