The Most Beautiful Woman Town & Other Stories

Charles Bukowski's stories have addicted legions of American readers, even though the high literary establishment continues to ignore them. In Europe, however (particularly in Germany, Italy, and France where he is published by the great publishing houses), he is critically recognized as one of America's greatest realist writers. In Bukowski's trademark semi-autobiographical short prose style, he addresses recurrent themes such as Los Angeles bar culture, alcoholism, gambling, sex, and violence. Many of the stories contain elements of fantasy and surrealism. Stories contained in include: "Kid Stardust on the Porterhouse;" "Life in a Texas Whorehouse;" "Six Inches;" "The Day We Talked About James Thurber;" "The Copulating Mermaid of Venice, Calif;" and "A Drinking Partner" among many others. "Collections such as showcase Bukowski's impressive narrative and creative abilities in stories that most often take place in bars and dingy apartments but are not simply about sex and alcohol. They're about staying alive in a world where the only choice for the majority of us is to face a firing squad in an office every day—the post office, in Bukowski's case—or maintain a commitment to creativity as we struggle to pay for food and a meager place to live."—Adam Perry,