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Rating: 
Summary: Essential to the collection.
Review: I give this book five stars because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is a nice, tight collections of interviews spanning Bukowski's career and I found it a pleasure to read. That said, a buyer will want to keep in mind that interviewers often ask the same questions, so people might find this book repetetive, but as an avid Buk fan, I did not. It's hard to tell with Bukowski where the fiction ends and the reality begins sometimes. He flat out says that he often does not tell the truth to interviewers, so it's hard sometimes to ascertain whether or not you are seeing the real Buk in these interviews. Still, they are an essential part to the overall picture of Bukowski. One will see several themes throughout the book. Almost every interview gives a brief telling of Bukowski's childhood and the ten-year drunk. It's also interesting to see that he mentions in several interviews writing until he's 80, and it's sad in retrospect to realize that this did not come to pass. Bukowski remained amazingly consistent in his thoughts througout the span of this book. Still, usually something can be gleaned from each interview which is unique, which makes this an entertaining addition to your collection, though it would not be my first choice if I was just beginning to find out about Buk's life.
Rating: 
Summary: BUK IS BACK!
Review: Nice cover design and terrific photo of Bukowski on the cover. Sun Dog Press did a swell job here. Have read some of these interviews elsewhere and that's why I gave it four stars only--still, worth getting for your Buk collection. This is for the fans here. Almost brings him back from the other side. I have always known (as have so many other Buk readers) there was more to the guy than the beer-guzzling brawler persona he cultivated so well and fooled so many with. Read the interviews and you'll see what I'm getting at here. The only thing that bugs me is that an acedemic was behind the "edited by" tag--since the Buk hated the type, etc. But what can you do? We'll take the book. Makes one feel good to have something new with Bukowski's name on the cover. Thanks, Sun Dog Press.
Rating:
Summary: Charles Bukowski: The Greatest Writer of Our Times
Review: Sun Dog Press has done a great job compiling interviews that span Bukowski's career. This is the next best thing to a new Bukowski book. Its great to hear ole Buk laying out his lines in his inimitable (many have tried) style. And the book is packed with great advice for anybody who's ever wanted to be a writer. And while you're at it, check out my new book, SURVIVING ON THE STREETS (available from amazon.com, natch). I could use a beer, so hopefully Bukowski -- wherever he is -- won't mind me impinging on his site with this personal plug. acebackwords2002@yahoo.com
Rating:
Summary: Bukowski on Bukowski
Review: Twenty-two of the 34 chapters in this book are interviews. The other chapters are pseudo-interviews --- profiles with Bukowski talking a lot, fill-in-the-blank questionnaires, and two excerpts from his books. All of it is worth reading. In the early chapters, Bukowski is angry and a little unfocused. He seems smart, but he's not at his full strength yet. But by the third or fourth chapter, he's had his first novel published, a second one is done, and he's feeling good. Although Bukowski has a reputation for being a grim skid-row poet, in reality he had a great sense of humor and he was thankful for his success. As you read each interview, he becomes more and more aware of who he is and what he's doing. He remains impatient with dumb questions, but he doesn't bother to rant anymore. By the later chapters, he makes it clear that he's avoiding the pitfalls of celebrity. This may seem like a contradiction for someone doing an interview, but it makes sense when you notice how rarely he gave interviews. (And how often each interview was for a friend who had supported him for years. Bukowski was loyal and did many interviews as favors for publishers of small magazines.) By the end, he's comfortable in his legacy. For those who haven't read Bukowski before, you should start somewhere else . . . and then get back to this book. Try 'Women,' 'Ham on Rye,' 'War All the Time,' and 'The Night Torn Mad by Footsteps.' If you are an aspiring writer, this book will help a lot. Bukowski talks about his writing methods quite a bit in these interviews. His advice is specific (write at night, alone, with the radio on), and general (avoid other writers, don't go on book tours to promote your work).
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