Charles Bukowski is one of the most acclaimed writers in the world, best known for his transgressive, highly original style of working. Born in Germany, but taking an American citizenship, he lived most of his life in the same city; Los Angeles, which is the context of most of his writings. He simultaneously loved and hated the city, but ultimately it defined his career, as he used it in some form or other in each and every one of his books.

He died at 73 from Leukaemia, in 1994, but he had luckily been able to enjoy the literary fame and success which his books had brought him – in spite of never fully being comfortable with the popularity, or completely trusting it.

Postman was the first novel he wrote, in 1971 – though he had written an extensive amount of short stories and poems up until that point. One interesting anecdote told about Bukowski during the early years of his career as a fiction writer, is about his editor, John Martin who was ten years younger, and the great deal that the two men struck.

John Martin was the founder of publishers Black Sparrow Press, which would go on to distribute all the great American’s writings. The offer that Martin made Bukowski in order to convince him to pack in his day job and devote himself to writing 100% was that he would give him a hundred dollars a month from that moment, until the end of his days. And Charles, quick to be seduced by the offer of money, accepted, writing his first novel in just a month.

Charles Bukowski found the theme of his first novel relatively easily, as it tells the story of his life – through the anecdotes of Henry Chinaski, who was one of the writer’s greatest creations, and who would reappear in many of his later books. The writer took refuge behind this fictional creation in order to tell the story of his own life, using his artistic licence in order to be able to modify, embellish and omit certain parts which he had not enjoyed.

Henry Chinaski is a postman in the city of Los Angeles, but resigns after becoming disillusioned with his job, and chose instead to dedicate himself to horse racing (a great passion for the writer). Some years later though, he is forced to return to the job for the money, and his life starts to change. The story stretches about 15 years of the life of the protagonist, and it makes for gripping reading – it is impossible to stop until the end.

Since his first publication in 1971, the success of the writer crystallised him into definitive literary status, and to this day, Charles Bukowski is one of the key exponents of the dirty realism genre, and many contemporary writers have named him as one of their influences.

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Rent apartments in Milan and take Postman along with you. Whilst reading Charles Bukowski’s first novel, you can discover the city, it’s wonderful history, as well the gripping story of Henry Chinaski.

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Translated by: Poppy
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