Poetry Books
The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966
RRP: $15.00
Our Price: $11.25
You Save: $ 3.75 ( 25% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ecco
Author: Charles Bukowski
Publisher: Ecco
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $11.25
You Save: $ 3.75 ( 25% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ecco
Author: Charles Bukowski
Publisher: Ecco
Average Customer Rating:
Experimental feature: Order The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966 from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.
The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966 Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 811.54
EAN: 9780876857328
ISBN: 0876857322
Label: Ecco
Manufacturer: Ecco
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 264
Publication Date: 2002-06-05
Publisher: Ecco
Product Release Date: 2002-05-31
Studio: Ecco
Dewey Decimal Number: 811.54
EAN: 9780876857328
ISBN: 0876857322
Label: Ecco
Manufacturer: Ecco
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 264
Publication Date: 2002-06-05
Publisher: Ecco
Product Release Date: 2002-05-31
Studio: Ecco
Editorial Review of The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966
Customer Reviews of The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Roominghouse Madrigals
Review: As hackneyed as this may sound, this early collection of Bukowski's poetry is undoubtedly some of his most astounding. As several other people have mentioned this book is strangely different from his later works. I've read a vast amount from this writer, and from my perspective this is unarguably some of his finest--a must have for all.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good Work
Review: Those who find Bukowski's novels a little thin in substance and diversity may want to turn to these early poems, which are indicative of the late writer's considerable talent. Bukowksi's poetry is base, unadorned, and funny. He identifies strongly with the common man, perhaps more authentically than the beats or other subterranean movements of the same period. This collection is a strong representation of his early skill as a craftsman; his voice his genuinely present throughout. Stand out poem is `Genius of the Crowd.'
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bukowski's Early Uncollected Poems
Review: Charles Bukowski (1920 -- 1994) is best known as the writer of novels such as "Ham On Rye" and "Women", which are based upon the author's life and feature a character named Henry Chinaski, and for movies such as "Barfly" and "Factotum" based upon Bukowski's novels and stories. But Bukowski saw himself primarily as a poet. He wrote prolifically for years, publishing frequently in journals and little magazines. His extensive writing belies, somewhat, Bukowski's public image. It shows a person interested in considerably more that alcohol, horseracing, and sex. Bukowski devoted a great deal of time and energy to becoming a writer.
The collection "Roominghouse Madrigals" was published by Black Sparrow Press in 1988, following the success of the movie "Barfly." Black Sparrow had already published several collections of Bukowski's poetry, but "Roominghous Madrigals" is a collection of earlier material, writen between 1946 and 1966. In fact, the collection dates overwhelmingly from the latter ten years, as Bukowski virtually had stopped writing during the mid 1940s to mid 1950s. In the forward to the collection, Bukowski writes that he and some editorial assistants attempted to gather together some of the poems from Bukowski's earliest efforts for publication in the book. He describes the poems as "more lyrical" than his subsequent efforts and that he retains a "certain fondness" for them because of the life of cheap roominghouses, menial jobs, lack of money, and effort at writing that they recalled to the him.
As with much of Bukowski's poetry, the poems of "Roominghouse Madrigals" are short, broken-lined, unrhymed and unmetered. They generally speak directly to the author's immediate experiences. Whitman is a source for Bukowski's poetry (Emily Dickinson may be as well, given the personal character of the poems) as is the 20th Century poet Robinson Jeffers. The book is long for a collection of poetry (256 pages) and the poems are put together without apparent sequence and with no attempt to correlate the poem with the year in which it was writtin or to its initial publication, if any.
I found "Roominghouse Madrigals" a mixed collection with some poems working, others not. The book is dark and pessimistic, as a whole, with many poems exploring themes of death and suicide, violence and hard living, loneliness, and a broad sense of alienation. The book differs from some of Bukowski's later work in its use of elaborate metaphor, which is frequently highly striking, vivid, and surrealistic. In addition, this collection frequently explores themes at a more abstract level than does most of Bukowski's later poetry. As with most of Bukowski's work, there is a sense of redemption in this book, as the poet tries to create a meaningful life in the crassness or his surroundings through the practice of capturing his experiences in art.
Some of the poems in the collection that I found effective include "It's not who Lived Here", "Poem for my 43d Birthday", "The Japanese Wife", "The Loser", "All I know", "Old Man Dead in a Room", "Counsel", "Goldfish", "Sad-Eyed Mules of Men" "The Gypsies near Del Mar", and "Rose, Rose". Overall, this collection of early, scattered works does not represent the best of Bukowski's poetry.
Readers might want to check the pagination carefully before purchasing "The Roominghouse Madrigals." In my copy, pages 133 -- 164 are included twice while pages 165--196 are missing.
Robin Friedman
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: worth reading if you're a fan
Review: If you're a Buk fan you'll want to check out his earlier 'more lyrical' poetry; basically not as raw and hard-hitting as his work in the Seventies and beyond, a bit more fancy word-work involved, but still interesting. If you're not a fan, and prefer all that pretentious abstract imagist poetry, then this is probably the only book by the man that you might like...
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: beware: this book, this author
Review: yes, if you are famailiar with Buk, then fine, I need not tell you how his early books, like those of Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and Celine, are so absurdly full of something ineffable. (Of course this ineffable thing would be, to find yourself with no other option, than to live the life of an artist, before you are recognized as such. How does one express that? And what does expression matter, when it's production we are concerned with?)And yet, we'll read his books anyway. By far, the best American poet - ever. I say this in the same way I would say Shakespeare is the best English playwrite, ever. If you wish to consider yourself, anything above insipid, this book is imperative. If you wish to find a hook on which to hang your schizophrenic tendencies...look no further. Buk's best book...hand's down. Buy it, love it, and Beware...
Review Summary: The Roominghouse Madrigals
Review: As hackneyed as this may sound, this early collection of Bukowski's poetry is undoubtedly some of his most astounding. As several other people have mentioned this book is strangely different from his later works. I've read a vast amount from this writer, and from my perspective this is unarguably some of his finest--a must have for all.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good Work
Review: Those who find Bukowski's novels a little thin in substance and diversity may want to turn to these early poems, which are indicative of the late writer's considerable talent. Bukowksi's poetry is base, unadorned, and funny. He identifies strongly with the common man, perhaps more authentically than the beats or other subterranean movements of the same period. This collection is a strong representation of his early skill as a craftsman; his voice his genuinely present throughout. Stand out poem is `Genius of the Crowd.'
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bukowski's Early Uncollected Poems
Review: Charles Bukowski (1920 -- 1994) is best known as the writer of novels such as "Ham On Rye" and "Women", which are based upon the author's life and feature a character named Henry Chinaski, and for movies such as "Barfly" and "Factotum" based upon Bukowski's novels and stories. But Bukowski saw himself primarily as a poet. He wrote prolifically for years, publishing frequently in journals and little magazines. His extensive writing belies, somewhat, Bukowski's public image. It shows a person interested in considerably more that alcohol, horseracing, and sex. Bukowski devoted a great deal of time and energy to becoming a writer.
The collection "Roominghouse Madrigals" was published by Black Sparrow Press in 1988, following the success of the movie "Barfly." Black Sparrow had already published several collections of Bukowski's poetry, but "Roominghous Madrigals" is a collection of earlier material, writen between 1946 and 1966. In fact, the collection dates overwhelmingly from the latter ten years, as Bukowski virtually had stopped writing during the mid 1940s to mid 1950s. In the forward to the collection, Bukowski writes that he and some editorial assistants attempted to gather together some of the poems from Bukowski's earliest efforts for publication in the book. He describes the poems as "more lyrical" than his subsequent efforts and that he retains a "certain fondness" for them because of the life of cheap roominghouses, menial jobs, lack of money, and effort at writing that they recalled to the him.
As with much of Bukowski's poetry, the poems of "Roominghouse Madrigals" are short, broken-lined, unrhymed and unmetered. They generally speak directly to the author's immediate experiences. Whitman is a source for Bukowski's poetry (Emily Dickinson may be as well, given the personal character of the poems) as is the 20th Century poet Robinson Jeffers. The book is long for a collection of poetry (256 pages) and the poems are put together without apparent sequence and with no attempt to correlate the poem with the year in which it was writtin or to its initial publication, if any.
I found "Roominghouse Madrigals" a mixed collection with some poems working, others not. The book is dark and pessimistic, as a whole, with many poems exploring themes of death and suicide, violence and hard living, loneliness, and a broad sense of alienation. The book differs from some of Bukowski's later work in its use of elaborate metaphor, which is frequently highly striking, vivid, and surrealistic. In addition, this collection frequently explores themes at a more abstract level than does most of Bukowski's later poetry. As with most of Bukowski's work, there is a sense of redemption in this book, as the poet tries to create a meaningful life in the crassness or his surroundings through the practice of capturing his experiences in art.
Some of the poems in the collection that I found effective include "It's not who Lived Here", "Poem for my 43d Birthday", "The Japanese Wife", "The Loser", "All I know", "Old Man Dead in a Room", "Counsel", "Goldfish", "Sad-Eyed Mules of Men" "The Gypsies near Del Mar", and "Rose, Rose". Overall, this collection of early, scattered works does not represent the best of Bukowski's poetry.
Readers might want to check the pagination carefully before purchasing "The Roominghouse Madrigals." In my copy, pages 133 -- 164 are included twice while pages 165--196 are missing.
Robin Friedman
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: worth reading if you're a fan
Review: If you're a Buk fan you'll want to check out his earlier 'more lyrical' poetry; basically not as raw and hard-hitting as his work in the Seventies and beyond, a bit more fancy word-work involved, but still interesting. If you're not a fan, and prefer all that pretentious abstract imagist poetry, then this is probably the only book by the man that you might like...
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: beware: this book, this author
Review: yes, if you are famailiar with Buk, then fine, I need not tell you how his early books, like those of Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and Celine, are so absurdly full of something ineffable. (Of course this ineffable thing would be, to find yourself with no other option, than to live the life of an artist, before you are recognized as such. How does one express that? And what does expression matter, when it's production we are concerned with?)And yet, we'll read his books anyway. By far, the best American poet - ever. I say this in the same way I would say Shakespeare is the best English playwrite, ever. If you wish to consider yourself, anything above insipid, this book is imperative. If you wish to find a hook on which to hang your schizophrenic tendencies...look no further. Buk's best book...hand's down. Buy it, love it, and Beware...