Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Factotum
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
One of Charles Bukowski's best, this beer-soaked, deliciously degenerate novel follows the wanderings of aspiring writer Henry Chinaski across World War II-era America. Deferred from military service, Chinaski travels from city to city, moving listlessly from one odd job to another, always needing money but never badly enough to keep a job. His day-to-day existence spirals into an endless litany of pathetic whores, sordid rooms, dreary embraces, and drunken brawls, as he makes his bitter, brilliant way from one drink to the next.Charles Bukowski's posthumous legend continues to grow. Factotum is a masterfully vivid evocation of slow-paced, low-life urbanity and alcoholism, and an excellent introduction to the fictional world of Charles Bukowski.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
danx
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

A fairly detestable character but it was an easy enough, kinda interesting read over a few days. Short bursts of a certain way of life set during 1940s LA and NY. Alcoholism, horse racing, womanizing, a detest of work (which I understand but dude, sometimes, suck it up!), trying to be a Man with a capital M. I felt mixed, but it wasn‘t a terrible read. Flipped between so-so and pick but pick it is, some of the paragraphs and writing really good.

4 likes1 stack add
quote
Custo7
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski

Hay personas inolvidables y para eso no hay cura.

review
Schwifty
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
Pickpick

I wasn‘t quite as entertained with this one as I was with Ham on Rye, likely due to a lack of tension in the plot. This sequel is a chronicle of Henry‘s restless moving around the country to get away from his girl Jan only to then wander back to her in Los Angeles. One gets the sense he doesn‘t know what he wants or why he does anything as exemplified by all the dead end jobs he lands only to be fired from each within days or weeks. Still funny.

review
Cosmos_Moon_River
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
Pickpick

Wow. Just finished the digital copy. A bit embarrassed that I left a hard copy at my mom‘s house. I‘m sure she‘ll read it - interesting, shocking & perverted. I don‘t know what else to say about this book. Found a 2005 movie trailer, so maybe I‘ll check that out. https://youtu.be/yOcMSq9msSc completed a #bookspinbingo #doublespin with this one, a day late. Not sure if I‘ll ever delve into the other Bukowski on my shelf after this one #catsoflitsy

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
17 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Cosmos_Moon_River
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

A couple ways I‘m almost at BINGO, and would be since I started FACTOTUM but left it at my mom‘s when I was visiting... maybe can find it through my library app before the end of the day 😜 have a great day everyone!
EDIT - bingo completed with this book!
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Awesome progress!!! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay bingo!!! 4y
18 likes2 comments
blurb
Cosmos_Moon_River
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

🎒scarves
🏜I think Santorini island is pretty desertey and central Mexico
📚tagged and some others are rotating in there

#ThoughtfulThursday
@MoonWitch94

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing ☺️⭐️📚 4y
13 likes1 comment
blurb
Wellreadhead
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski
post image
quote
loki3
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

"Frankly, I was horrified by life, at what a man had to do simply in order to eat, sleep, and keep himself clothed. So I stayed in bed and drank. When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn't have you by the throat."

quote
N8ure
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

9 likes1 stack add
blurb
peanutbutler
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

"Frankly, I was horrified by life, at what a man had to do simply in order to eat, sleep, and keep himself clothed. So I stayed in bed and drank. When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn't have you by the throat."

review
Iammisseve
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
Bailedbailed

A story of Mr.Chinaski who is also the alter ego of the author himself.A true story based on the current world situation in terms of life.

RaimeyGallant Interesting. And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. 7y
Chelleo Welcome 🤗 7y
DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚👍😀Hope you enjoy it here! 7y
4 likes3 comments
review
britt_brooke
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
Pickpick

“My ambition is handicapped by laziness.”

Henry Chinaski - the author‘s fictional alter-ego - is a general factotum, an alcoholic, and an oddly likable kind of asshole. Bukowski‘s writing is so good, but very brash, crass, and sometimes pretty offensive, so definitely not for everyone.

Redwritinghood I think there was a movie based on this book. Not sure, but I seem to recall seeing it. 7y
britt_brooke @Redwritinghood Yes, there is. I haven‘t seen it, but I‘d like to sometime. 👍🏻 7y
120 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
britt_brooke
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

After a long day of shopping (still not finished) and decorating (still not finished), I‘m finally relaxing and getting back to this #Bukowski. #bookandbrews

quote
britt_brooke
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
Kalalalatja That's how I feel all the time 😂 7y
britt_brooke @Kalalalatja 😆 Me too! 7y
Suet624 @Kalalalatja @britt_brooke I totally feel this way. 7y
britt_brooke @Suet624 😆🙌🏻 7y
126 likes3 stack adds4 comments
blurb
britt_brooke
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

Everyone else is asleep and I‘m introverting. 📖+🍷#currentlyreading

merelybookish A little birthday me time. Nice! 🍷📙 7y
britt_brooke @merelybookish Absolutely! Also, I loved the Kurtday comment earlier - thank you! 💚 7y
LauraJ Great way to enjoy your birthday 🎂. Hope it‘s been a good one 🎈 7y
See All 9 Comments
britt_brooke @LauraJ It has - thanks so much! 💚 7y
Book_in_hands Happy birthday!!! 7y
MicheleinPhilly An excellent way to ring in 36! Happy Birthday! 🍻 7y
britt_brooke @MicheleinPhilly Thank you! 😘 7y
emilyhaldi Perfect 🍷 7y
114 likes2 stack adds9 comments
blurb
britt_brooke
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
saresmoore So pretty! 7y
103 likes2 stack adds1 comment
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski

Baby," I said, "I'm a genius but nobody knows it but me."

42 likes2 stack adds
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski

It was true that I didn‘t have much ambition, but there ought to be a place for people without ambition, I mean a better place than the one usually reserved. How in the hell could a man enjoy being awakened at 6:30 a.m. by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, dress, force-feed, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so?

HannaPolkadots Love Bukowski ❤ 7y
38 likes3 stack adds1 comment
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

My ambition is handicapped by laziness.

JessicaPHoffman I should put this on a shirt. 7y
againsthesky19 I would buy that shirt. 7y
Hokey Me too. One for every day of the week. 7y
HannaPolkadots Me three! Or possibly just tattoo it on my face. 7y
OrangeMooseReads 🙌🏽 7y
45 likes5 comments
blurb
Onioons
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

Not sure how I feel about this yet but I needed a #1975 book for my #birthdaychallenge. And I'd like to read some well-known authors while I'm at it!

elkeOriginal Amazing photograph 👏👏👏 8y
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
BooksRockMyWorld
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
19 likes1 stack add
blurb
Onioons
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

#Marchintoreading #marchtbr C'mon March, let's be havin' ya!

RealLifeReading Oh! Becky Chambers!! 8y
Onioons I know! V excited! @RealLifeReading 8y
65 likes2 comments
review
Journalismchik
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image
Mehso-so

Well, I will say this about Charles Bukowski, he knows how to develop a character. I usually love Bukowski, but this one was just pointless. Details the hard reality of the job crisis during the war and post war...but the main character...his laziness and brashness just got annoying. I'd say just pass, unless you're a big Bukowski fan. #CharlesBukowski

2 likes1 stack add
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski

My ambition is handicapped by my laziness.

tapgurl One of my favorite books:) 8y
Gina Have you seen the documentary that was done on him. They really got the essence of who he was it was fantastic. I think it was on Netflix or Hulu. There are also DVDs with him doing poet readings at venues which are also fantastic. He stops mid-sentence and demands a bottle of wine before he will go on. And they run to him that bottle of wine it's great. 8y
GoneFishing @Gina I'll look out for the DVD. I found some good stuff on YouTube but will have to check out the DVD too. 8y
Gina The documentary is called Bukowski: born into this, you can rent it from amazon. The live readings are: Charles Bukowski there's going to be a God damn riot in here and Charles Bukowski live the Last Straw. I was able to check these out of my library. Enjoy! 8y
52 likes4 comments
blurb
Gina
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

These are poetry pamphlets that were printed in the seventies that have Charles Bukowski in them and he did drawings for some of them. They are favorite in my collection.

quote
GoneFishing
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

I'm no preacher but I can tell you this-the lives that people lead are driving them crazy and their insanity comes out in the way they drive.

55 likes1 stack add
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

I remembered my New Orleans days, living on two five-cent candy bars a day for weeks at a time in order to have leisure to write. But starvation, unfortunately, didn't improve art. It only hindered it. A man's soul was rooted in his stomach. A man could write much better after eating a porterhouse steak and drinking a pint of whiskey than he could ever write after eating a nickel candy bar. The myth of the starving artist was a hoax.

34 likes1 stack add
quote
GoneFishing
Factotum | Charles Bukowski

She was desperate and she was choosey at the same time and, in a way, beautiful, but she didn't have quite enough going for her to become what she imagined herself to be.

tapgurl This was one of my favorites of his. I'm a big fan!❤ 8y
40 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
keithmalek
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

review
keithmalek
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
Bailedbailed

I've read every Bukowski novel with the exception of Pulp, and this was, by far, the worst. That's why it's confusing as to why they made a film based on this novel. Which was worse? The book or the movie? It's hard to tell.

quote
GoneFishing
Factotum. Charles Bukowski | Charles Bukowski

If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All others are a test of your endurance...You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.

36 likes1 stack add
quote
urjas
Factotum | Charles Bukowski
post image

My ambition is handicapped by laziness.

5 likes1 stack add