Since nobody yet has asked

and/or posted here in a while--my favorite Bukowski books are 1) Post Office 2) Love is a dog from hell 3) Factotum 4) The roominghouse madrigals---can't really come up with which short story collection I like the best of Notes of a dirty old man, The most beautiful woman in town, or Tales of ordinary madness.

Love is a dog from hell is what got me into Bukowski. I was literally sitting at a bar when someone said "Read this.". I enjoy reading almost everything by Bukowski, even though some are hit-and-miss. I can't really say I have a 'favorite'.

What I really enjoy now are the biographies on his life. Both the Neeli Cherkovski and Barry Miles are really good, I think.

What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire was the first book that I owned and its filled with a dozen or so poems that I read on a regular basis. I first heard of him from a friend of mine who was reading Play the Piano Like a Percussion Instrument Until Your Fingers Bleed a Bit, which she bought purely for the title. From What Matters Most, I got a few more poetry collections. Then I read Pulp which was literary fun and some of Betting on the Muse which exposed me to some of his short stories.

Actually first ran into Bukowski by accident. When I was in the service I was stationed for about a year in New Bedford Mass. and I liked the area so later on after I got married it seems every 3 or 4 years we'd go back to Cape Cod and we'd usually spend a night or two on martha's vineyard. Anyway there is a small bookstore in Vineyard Haven and I was going over the shelves the one time maybe 10-12 years ago and being a postal clerk my eye alighted on 'Post Office' so of course I had to have it. Started reading it that day and thought this is hilarious and at the same time--this is so true. Great book.

i have been reading bukwoski for about ummm....twenty years now...i remember i got written up at work because i would sit and read his novels over and over instead of work.....my favorites are ham on rye, women, the roominghouse madrigals, tales of ordinary madness, post office,septuagenarian stew, factotum. the most beautiful woman in town, and south of no north

My first was Open All Night-New Poems

My first book by Bukowski was Hollywood, which I discovered at the public library in Frankfurt, Germany. From there, I read almost all of his prose and a good deal of his poetry. Love is a Dog from Hell is my favorite book of Bukowski's poetry. I've loved almost everything of his I've read, and am still somewhat angry about the theft of my copy of Hot Water Music. I lent it to a friend, and a few days later he asked if I wanted it back. I told him I did, but there was no hurry. That's when he told me that he had sold it. Unfortunately, that was not enough for me to learn my lesson and I lent my copy of William T. Vollman's Whores for Gloria to his girlfriend...and she sold it...

Just got into Bukowski a couple of months ago. First i read Ham on rye,Now i am reading Post office. Next will be Women followed by Pulp. I love his raw edgey literary voice.Plus i drink like him....well a little bit like him.

Roominghouse Madrigals all the way. I love that book, particularly "The Genius of the Crowd" found within. My runner up for favorite Buk poem would have to be "Dinosauria, We" from Last Night of the Earth Poems.
The first book of his I read was Betting on the Muse while I was in college in 1999.

I've been reading Bukowski since about 1980. A college friend turned me onto his stuff and I've not been able to shake him since--Bukowski, I mean, not my college friend.

I have so many favorites, but if I had to choose just a few, they would be:

Ham on Rye
Mockingbird Wish Me Luck
South of No North
Burning in Water Drowning in Flame

But, like I say, I've got many, many favorites.

Just read my first Bukowski novel last week, a guy in work lent me Post Office. Fucking loved the book, really resonated with me as I worked in a call centre for nearly a year and it was the same type of work environment, shit head bosses with hard on's for "the stats". Go read it!

Also ran into Bukowski accidentally. Well, somewhat accidentally. About 10 years ago (in my early 50s) I was introduced to his work by some young poets. Now I wish I'd read him much earlier. I love his directness and his honesty. I forgive him the wine and the women.

My very favorite Bukowski book always has been and remains to this day Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit. That first poem in the book did it for me. Until I read that book, decades ago, I didn't know poetry could even be written like that or about those types of topics! I mean, like so many others, I grew up reading the same old boring shit in school, and this was refreshing, big time.

I also enjoy the early City Lights books, as they are just wacked out!