Charles Bukowski: Laughing with the Gods [Paperback]

Fernanda Pivano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Cultural Writing. Interviews. Noted Italian critic, translator, and author Fernanda Pivano, came to the United States in 1980 to interview one of the world's singular writers, Charles Bukowski. The complete transcript of that remarkable interview is included in the book, revealing Bukowski to be frank and sometimes shocking. In lengthy and productive sessions, she discovered a man both the same and different than his published works. Surrounding the interview is a generous helping of comment, critique, and warmly worded appraisal.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fernanda Pivano is an Italian writer and translator. Her credentials as a literary Boswell are impressive. She has interviewed and written on Hemingway, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and others who have come to define modern American literature, and introduced them to the Italian reader.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Sun Dog Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941543269
• ISBN-13: 978-0941543262
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Bukowski is one of America's best-known contemporary writers of poetry and prose, and, many would claim, its most influential and imitated poet. He was born in Andernach, Germany, and raised in Los Angeles, where he lived for fifty years. He published his first story in 1944, when he was twenty-four, and began writing poetry at the age of thirty-five. He died in San Pedro, California, on March 9, 1994, at the age of seventy-three, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp (1994).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He answers just like he writes, April 15, 2000

By 

Mario (São Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charles Bukowski: Laughing with the Gods (Paperback)

Let's face it: If you like Bukowski (Hank, for those who really adore him), nothing is too much. You probably have already read "Bukowski - A Life" (by Neeli Cherkovski) and most of his books and, if like him like I do, you have read them all several times. And, every time you finish one of his books, you say to yourself: "I want more!" Well, now you got it! Fernanda Pivano asks the right questions, and Hank answers them, just like he wrote his best books. Sometimes, he's funny. Sometimes, he's mean. Sometimes, he's sincere. But, always, you have truth. His truth, at least. So, buy this book, buy some beers and read it. You'll have just one problem: You'll want more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars hanging with hank, August 4, 2001

By 

William D. Tompkins (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charles Bukowski: Laughing with the Gods (Paperback)

interesting quick read about a foreign journalist's interview experience with bukowski not great but interesting

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bukowski talks about life and poetry, March 8, 2004

By 

SPM "scott_maykrantz" (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charles Bukowski: Laughing with the Gods (Paperback)

I read this book right after Sunlight Here I Am, a collection of Bukowski interviews. This book is more of the same --- Bukowski is irreverent, with strong convictions about life and writing, but if you've already read a stack of his books, you knew that. He doesn't always deliver the goods in interviews (he's often bored with the questions), but his point of view is honest and world-weary enough to keep you turning the pages.

Fernanda Pivano brings a European and female sensibility to the affair. Bukowski is bigger in Europe than in the US, so when she asks him about fame, he has interesting things to say. (He can walk down the street and be anonymous here, but he's often recognized in Italy, France, and Germany.) And because she's a woman, the interviews don't touch on any macho posturing. She knows he's a big-hearted guy under the tough exterior, so she goes straight for the answers about art and love, bypassing the tales of heavy drinking and barroom fights.

All in all, this is a reasonably entertaining and insightful book for the new Bukowski fan. It's Bukowski at his most thoughtful and relaxed. For those of you who have read all of his books, you won't find anything new here (although you won't feel ripped off reading it, either).