Customer Reviews

The Last Night of the Earth Poems

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The title says it all really; these were Buk's last earth poems (I know tons of his books have been released posthumously), and some of his best writing ever. A true masterpiece, at times surprisingly tender, with Buk at his topmost. One of my favorites (and I've read them all) and a great place for those new to Buk to start.

This book is Bukowski at his brilliant best, talking straight from experience about the life of a bum alcoholic poet.

When I first read this book, I was eleven years old and had never heard of Bukowski or read anything of this sort, or any poetry. It was like the book cast a spell on me. I could not stop reading. I remember staying up all hours of the night, reading this book with a flashlight, frantically turning the pages, hoping it would go on forever. It spoke to me on an intimate lever that no school-assigned swill ever had. I grabbed me by my soul and dragged me down into a beautiful abbyss which I have not left to this day.

After reading this book, you will never be the same again.

Back in my 20's and 30's during my "dark night of the soul" Bukowski was about the only author and poet that I could still read. I think that this was because he was the only writer that I could identify with. We had too much in common: we had read the same books, worked the same crummy jobs, patronized the same sort of bars, and above all, suffered the same kind of fools. So I knew that he was for real.

After I had reached bottom, been dismembered by demons, and yet strangely could not die, I still read Bukowski. I knew that in order to be reborn, you first have to suffer hell and die. Bukowski had been there, had done that. I knew the validity of his path. I had done it.

Bukowski was an anachronism- a literate, and published, working man. That is something that has been almost obliterated in American "culture." Maybe it had something to do with his German roots. I always think of him as a Schopenhauer gone to seed.

I think I know why Bukowski got so little respect from literary types and contemporary poets. You see Hank was a MAN and an ADULT, and your literary types have a basic problem with both manhood and adulthood....

This was the first Bukowski I've read. The poems are less poetry-like and more short stories in columns. They've got a great rhythm. They're better when you read them out loud, which works better when you live alone. What amazes me is that this book is 405 pages long, and it's one of forty-five books by Bukowski, mostly books of poetry. That's pretty prolific. This one was published in 1992. There's a lot of poems about being old and getting ready to die. And a lot about drinking.

...and.....

The piano has been drinking
My necktie's asleep
The combo went back to New York, and left me all alone
The jukebox has to take a leak
Have you noticed that the carpet needs a haircut?
And the spotlight looks just like a prison break
And the telephone's out of cigarettes
As usual the balcony's on the make
And the piano has been drinking, heavily
The piano has been drinking
And he's on the hard stuff tonight

The piano has been drinking
And you can't find your waitress
Even with the Geiger counter
And I guarantee you that she will hate you
From the bottom of her glass
And all of your friends remind you
That you just can't get served without her
The piano has been drinking

The piano has been drinking
And the lightman's blind in one eye
And he can't see out of the other
And the piano-tuner's got a hearing aid
And he showed up with his mother
And the piano has been drinking
Without fear of contradiction I say
The piano has been drinking

Our Father who art in ?
Hallowed by thy glass
Thy kindom come, thy will be done
On Earth as it is in the lounges
Give us this day our daily splash
Forgive us our hangovers
As we forgive all those who continue to hangover against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver from evil and someone you must all ride home

Because the piano has been drinking
And he's your friend not mine
Because the piano has been drinking
And he's not my responsibility

The bouncer is this Sumo wrestler
Kinda cream puff casper milk toast
And the owner is just a mental midget
With the I.Q. of a fencepost
I'm going down, hang onto me, I'm going down
Watch me skate across an acre of linoleum
I know I can do it, I'm in total control
And the piano has been drinking
And he's embarassing me
The piano has been drinking, he raided his mini bar

The piano has been drinking
And the bar stools are all on fire
And all the newspapers were just fooling
And the ash-trays have retired
And I've got a feeling that the piano has been drinking
It's just a hunch
The piano has been drinking and he's going to lose his lunch
And the piano has been drinking
Not me, not me, The piano has been drinking not me

Enjoy this book kiddies. Buk can do no wrong, he never did. Turn on only one lamp, with no shade (as if there ever was one), open up a bottle of Ol' Red Eye, throw the cap away, put on some T.Waits, and cherish the fact that you and your misery are not as alone as you thought.

Having been a long standing fan of Bukowski's work I am partial to this book because it represents his later work which is just as powerful as any of his early lyrical work like Crucifix in a Deathand and It Catches My Heart In It's Hand. Poems like Dinosaura,We; In The Shadow of the Rose and My Uncle Jack capture the author still at the peak of his creative powers. Of course there are the typical Buk topics like horseracing, boozing, women, the outsiders, but Bukowski takes a soft turn by dedicating a poem to his wife which will catch many Buk fans surprisingly off guard. If you are new to Charles Bukowski's writing you will definitely want to get this book; it will inspire you to try his other books. If you're a long time Buk reader, you probably have this one in your collection already. I highly recommend The Last Night of the Earth Poems to everyone
that has a taste for earthy, lyrical and ballsy poetry.

I can usually judge the entertainment value of a book by how quickly it acquires a coffee stain ring. This one was so marked in under 15 minutes.
It is no big shock that the poems in this collection exhibit the typical flair, style, and thought of Bukowski. What is a shock is the number and scope of the poems here. This is a great collection, and worth buying and reading over and over (and over) again.

I wish I discovered Bukowski earlier in my life. This book is just wonderful! Highly recommended!!!

My main complaint with most poets has always been that they never edit themselves enough. Some poetry leaves me wondering if the writers edited themselves at all. Bukowski probably didn't edit much, but everything he did was great, so it didn't hurt him. This is without a doubt the most consistent collection of poetry I have ever read, my only regret is that it has taken me this long to discover Bukowski. If you like Buk's poetry, you will love Last Night on Earth . . .

This book blew me away! Bukowski's final book of poetry before he died ( his final book was the novel PULP ). There is comedy, sadness, and introspection as he reviews his life. His skills are as sharp as ever; many critics claimed his brain was cooked in his later years---NOT TRUE! This book is a must read.