Publication
Los Angeles : Black Sparrow Press, 1973
Physical description
189 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
0876851898 / 9780876851890
Language
Collections
Description
South of No North is a collection of short stories written by Charles Bukowski that explore loneliness and struggles on the fringes of society.
Genres
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member DRFP
Taken as a whole I didn't enjoy this collection of shorts as much as Hot Water Music. Maybe I'm remembering HWM wrong but there seemed much more smut and self-aggrandizing in South of No North (the story where Chinaski beats up Hemmingway in a boxing match and scores with Thomas Wolfe's hot
True, the smut does become less prominent as the collection goes on (no more stories about men having sex with mannequins) and that's when Bukowski's writing starts to shine. All these stories might be about drunk writers and their "whores" but there's real emotion in Bukowski's writing and when he's at his best it can touch a raw nerve. It's just a shame you have to dig deep under all the sex and booze to find something worthwhile.
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girlfriend being the most ludicrous, but funny, example of this).True, the smut does become less prominent as the collection goes on (no more stories about men having sex with mannequins) and that's when Bukowski's writing starts to shine. All these stories might be about drunk writers and their "whores" but there's real emotion in Bukowski's writing and when he's at his best it can touch a raw nerve. It's just a shame you have to dig deep under all the sex and booze to find something worthwhile.
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LibraryThing member nickrenkin
Bukowskis simple, elegant, humourous and often brutal portrayal of lifes down and outers.
LibraryThing member Salmondaze
A number of good Chinaski stories unfortunately can't save this overall ho-hum collection. Of Charles Bukowski's three chosen modes, verse, novel, and short story, the last of these has proven the weakest. Of course, chances are, if you're reading this book you're a big fan like I am, so you'll
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probably read it anyway but to me this has been his worst book besides Septuagenarian Stew. Show Less
LibraryThing member MColv9890
Brilliant.
Original publication date
1973