Customer Reviews

Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame

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For a writer as prolific as Bukowski, it might be difficult to know where to start. This is a guy who continues to write a book of poetry a year despite being dead for over a decade. If you are just being introduced to his poetry for the first time, my recommendation is Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. It might have to do with where I was and what was going on in my life when I read it, but to me 1955 to 1973 are the best years of Bukowski. During this period, his writing focused on gambling, drinking, and prostitutes. This is clearly Bukowksi's strength. In some of the later writings he's a minor celebrity, going to poetry readings, sleeping with groupies, working on his screenplay... That's all entertaining too but not the best and certainly not the place to start.

This collection of poems includes three of my favorites. "To the whore who took my poems" which includes the lines "next time take my left arm or a fifty/ but not my poems:/ I'm not Shakespeare/ but sometime simply/ there won't be any more, abstract or otherwise;/ there'll always be money and whores and drunkards..."

And the poem "a 340 dollar horse and a hundred dollar whore" which I believe will resonate with anyone who has been to the track and had a long shot come in for them.

And my favorite, "startled into life like fire." All the great poets are cat-lovers. A full discussion of why this is true might be beyond the scope of this review, but I stand behind the statement. This is the only Bukowski poem that makes me weep. I read this poem while sitting shiva for my beloved cat Mingus, but I used to fall apart reading this poem long before he passed on. It reads in part:

"neither of us understands
cathedrals or
the man outside
watering his
lawn

if I were all the man
that he is
cat-
if there were men
like this
the world could
begin"

Libman's quickies on beginner Bukowski:
Beginner Bukowski for poetry, as stated above, Burning in Water Drowning in Flame. Beginner Buk for short stories would be Tales of Ordinary Madness. For a novel, start with Factotum. And enjoy.

I often feel that attempting to review poetry boarders on pretension. It is impossible to explore the infinite interpretations that accompany each poem; however, this compilation, which includes some of Bukowski's earlier works deserves some words.

All too often Bukowski is forced in to a literary box by those who have only read a brief snippet of his work. They see him as a down and out drunk, with a penchant for the written word. They fail to realize the greater depth of his poetry. Yes, Bukowski lived a very hard life, however, the booze and the women and the flophouse rooms also serve as a metaphor, illustrating his far-reaching insight into the world.

Through his poems, we see life through jaded eyes. So jaded, in fact, as to prove enlightening. From Bukowski's self-imposed exile from the daily grind, he is able to view the world of man objectively. He is able to gain a realization of the absurdities that all too often dull the lives of many, and in this way, Bukowski brings forth a certain level of enlightenment. Through his work, we too can view life objectively and combat the absurdities that plague us all.

This is one of the best collections of poetry that I have ever read. I've recently discovered Bukowski after having one of my poems compared to his work. I did some research and a lot of people told me to start with this book. I am so glad that I did because it was a great introduction to Bukowski's work (and he does have a lot of work!) I am looking forward to reading my way through more of Bukowski's work in the near future.

These poems are full of humor, introspection, and managing to find inspiration in the smallest of things and occurances. Even though it may seem like some of the sentences are disjointed or out of place, every sentence is meant to be there and that is clearly visible when you reach the end of any poem in this collection. All of these poems seem to emanate with a jaded wisdom that one can't help but feel as if a lesson has been learned after reading each one.

My favorite poems in this collection that I recommend are "to the whore who took my poems", "for marilyn m.", and "i met a genius".

I was attracted to this specific book because it is the only compilation of poetry written by Bukowski while he lived in New Orleans. Perfect for road trips or for delving into after a long night of dirty bars and broken people,(elements ever -so present in New Orleans), I constantly find myself anxiously anticipating how the next page of booze drenched rants will blow my mind. Never has someone so accurately illustrated the whimsical life of an observant drunk amidst chaos,and Bukoski manages to not only find inspiration in it but relay it with such simplicity and sarcastic whit that you will find yourself re-acessing your definition of the word "Hero".
He forever reminds us that beauty hides in strange places and that even if you're not drinking while reading this book you can still taste the flames as you drown in thier presence.

Years ago in an eternally hip independent book store, I discovered Charles Bukowski, instantly devouring him like cold noodles on a hot afternoon. I started with "Burning in Water..." and still go back to this one for a feel of what Bukowski truly had to say. In this collection, he combines the sublime with the squalid, giving relevance and imperativeness to all of it. Simply, the man could write about virtually anything. Despite the isolation that permeates throughout the verse, he communicates our need and constant attempts at connection with our fellow human beings. Really folks, its not all just beer and women.

From 1944 -- 1955, Charles Bukowski (1920 -- 1994) lived the life of a wastrel, wandering from city to city, holding menial jobs, while spending most of his time drinking or fighting. Bukowski began writing poetry in earnest in about 1955, as he continued his life of drink, horseplaying, and sex, while gradually finding a voice for himself as a writer. In a poem called "we the artists", included in "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame", Bukowski recalls these early years: "I keep thinking of myself young, then, the way I was,/ and I can hardly believe it but I don't mind it./ I hope the artists are still pround of me/but they never come back/again."

"Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" (1974) is in part a compilation of several earlier Bukowski collections published as chapbooks in the years before Bukowski formed his relationship with John Martin and Black Sparrow Press. The poetry is unrhymed, in short free verse lines. It is largely but not entirely autobiographical as Bukowski explores his themes of death and suicide, drinking, womanizing, gambling, and finding meaning and redemption in life through art and poetry. Bukowski's early work tends to be more metaphorical and abstract than his later poetry.

The first part of the book, "It Captures my Heart in Its Hands" includes selections from a chapbook of that name published in 1963 with poetry written between 1955 and 1963. In addition to poems detailing Bukowski's experiences with women and the track, such as "to the whore who took my poems" and "a 340 dollar horse and a hundred dollar whore", it includes several poems about other people, including "for marilyn m." and "the life of borodin" as well as a meditative poem, "the singular self."

"Crucifix in a Deathhand" the second section of the book, likewise draws upon an early chapbook which included poems written between 1963 and 1965. In addition to the title poem, some of the writing in this collection shows Bukowski's compassion for the working poor, including the poem "the workers". The poem "a nice day" shows Bukowski trying to give meaning to the mundane, and the awful, events of daily life.

The third chapter of early poetry, "At Terror Street and Agony Way", (1065 -- 1968)includes, in addition to autobiographical poems, poems graphically describing the lives of outcasts and losers, including, "true story", "x-pug", and "he even looked like a nice guy".

The final collection in the book, "Burning in Water Drowning in Flame" Dates from 1972-1973. Bukowski, already attaining some recognition, had received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to write these poems. The poems "charles" and "my friend andre" are among those in which Bukowski offers portraits of other people. Some of the poems in this collection I enjoyed include "the sound of human lives" in which Bukowski observes " I don't know why people think effort and energy/have anything to do with/creation", "burned", which tells a story of rejection in a way unique to Bukowski, the philosophical "pull a string, a puppet moves" and "dreamlessly" which laments the lovelessness common to many people.

This is an excellent collection for those wishing to explore the early poetry of Charles Bukowski.

Robin Friedman

Regretfully, Charles Bukowski is no longer with us for he was without a doubt one of the few very powerful writers of our time. Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame is an excellent example of this wonderful authors ability to express his humor, anger, sadness, sarcasm, and complacency towards this society we are all a part of. As morose as sometimes his life may have seemed, I believe that Charles Bukowski was more alive in his life than many of us ever will be

Okay, I'll try this from memory. My copy of this book is long gone -- stolen, lost, lent out to some friend who couldn't bear to part with it again -- who knows?

2 p.m. beer

nothing matters but flopping on a mattress with cheap dreams and a beer as the leaves die and the horses die and the landladies stare in the halls. brisk the music of torn shades, a last man's cave in an eternity of swarm and explosion,

nothing but the dripping sink, the empty bottle, euphoria, youth fenced in, stabbed and shaven taught words, propped up to die

Like that? Maybe I messed up a little here and there and this damned thing won't let me put in the line breaks. Still, it's a glimpse into the man's poetry. Bukowski is a God, folks, the best American writer of the 20th century. Don't let any pissant English teacher (or English major, for that matter, and I've been both) try to tell you different.

Read Bukowski and LIVE!!!!!!

This was my first stab at a Charles Bukowski work and it led me to go out and find out as much as I could about this gifted writer. "Some people" is perhaps the best poem ever, in my opinion. A must for any fan of honest writing.

This is early Bukowski writing, and its brilliant because its not encumbered by his resultant acclaim and popularity, so the poems come straight from the gut and are as honest as they are beautiful and tragic. Definitely worth it.