i started reading this book during our latest vacation, but after the first night i forgot it in the hotel. i hate it when it happens. so i re-ordered from amazon and finished it quickly.

post office is charles bukowski's fictional, yet semi-autobiographic novel (james frey would probably have published it as a true story…). it is the first bukowski i read, and i was not very impressed. but probably it should be judged based on the time when it was published (1971). back then it was probably considered as breaking some new ground.

the book reads very fast. and doesn't require the reader to think much. so like the main character you can do all your reading while you're drunk.. the 'hero-anti-hero' is hank, a constantly drunk, chain smoking, chain coffee drinking, don't-give-a-shit, tough-guy who works at the post office (on and off).

i think james frey actually copied a lot from this book..

anyway, back to bukowski. i'll try reading some of his other stuff, but i don't have high expectations.