Dreams from Bunker Hill

I first read this book and most Fante books some 20-25 years ago and haven't picked any up since. Until now. And I have no idea why I waited so long. It didn't take very long for me to remember why I loved Fante so much and why he was Bukowski's favorite writer. The man's a great writer and a great Angelino. No New York literary pretension here, thank you. Real, rough, crass words, phrases, characters, ideas, plots for the masses, stuff that everyone can like, understand, and hopefully identify with. This is the fourth and final Arturo Bandini book. Bandini is freaking hilarious! He's emotionally stilted, lives life with his emotions on his sleeve, loves and hates Los Angeles, loves and hates people, sometimes at the same time, is a show more writer (he thinks), a lapsed Catholic, a good Italian, a son of a loving Italian mother, and a scoundrel. This book carries him from downtown L.A.'s Bunker Hill neighborhood down Wilshire Boulevard to Hollywood, down to San Pedro and Terminal Island, out to Boulder, Colorado to visit his family, and back to L.A. While traveling, he goes from poor to well off to extremely well off, back to normal again, all in one book. He meets bizarre people, like the terrific Duke of Sardinia, who has a wrestling match with the crowd pleasing Richard Lionheart and lives to tell about it -- barely. His partnership with the famous screenwriter who name drops constantly and does virtually no work whatsoever, yet gets all the credit, is also particularly hilarious.

This isn't Fante's best book, but he wrote this as, I believe, his final book, dictated to his wife in his old age while he was blind. And it's quite good. Also, quite short and an easy read. So, pick it up and have a go at it. I'd be surprised if you're disappointed. Definitely recommended. show less

Este Arturo Bandini sí que me gusta. Sigue teniendo sus locuras pero no son tan exageradas ni me sacan tanto de quicio como en 'Camino de Los Ángeles'. John Fante utiliza a su alter ego Arturo Bandini para hacer lo que mejor sabe, escribir una gran historia llena de humor, entremezclada con bondad y ternura.

En este caso tenemos a Bandini tratando de abrirse paso en el mundo de la escritura de guiones para Hollywood, donde conocerá a los personajes más variopintos. Cómo no, su andadura está marcada por las mujeres que se cruzan en su vida, que por unas circunstancias o por otras, nunca terminan como él pensaba.

Con éste, termino de leer los ocho libros publicados por Fante; a no ser que aparezca alguna otra obra inédita entre sus show more papeles. Sólo decir que he disfrutado muchísimo con su sentido del humor y su manera de escribir tan directa y al mismo tiempo tan evocadora. show less

Another Fante. I can't help it, I love this man. This was not a bad story but it lacked his poignant descriptions that usually seemed so effortless and the tortured protagonist was too easy to read. So, it fell one notch and then I was afraid he was losing his magic. But I'm a sensible gal and I know there is no way Fante would let that happen. I attribute the faults to the fact that he was blind at this point in his career, therefore he needed to dictate the story.

This book was published in 1979, after he had dictated the book to his wife because of his blindness brought on by diabetes. Some have referred to John Fante as the “missing link” between the Lost Generation and the Beats. Others have written that Fante used his character Arturo Bandini as a way to explore his uncontrollable lust for the most beautiful women, the women he mostly failed to have successful relationships with. Fante’s books do have a unique place in the world of LA literature. His writing style is brief and to the point, a bit like Hemingway. The street tales of Arturo are similar, but the heart of the character is very special.

I find myself down to only one other Fante book, and then my addiction to his writing show more will force me to go on the hunt for more. show less

Great book. I think it was better than the last. Very smooth writing style and Arturo has mellowed out so much. It's really nice seeing his character progression and how terrible he was previously. I'm sad there's nothing left but happy that I had finished this series. Really solid writing and I hope that I may be able to write like this in the future.

Only the first half of the book shows the kind of colloquial, fast and naked writing style that one can find in the author's previous novels.That writing style that make you feel the rampant energy and endless frustration that runs inside Bandini's heart and mind.
The second half is too sterile, no feeling there.

Arturo Bandini, huyendo de la nieve y el hastío de colorado, se instala en Bunker Hill, la colina que domina el centro de Los Ángeles, donde empieza a trabajar como camarero y escribe relatos. En esta novela, considerada como una de las mejores de John Fante, éste nos cuenta los inicios de Bandini como guionista y sus amores y líos sucesivos. Tras otros episodios en los que nos cruzamos con otros escritores empleados en los estudios, como Ben Hecht, el ídolo de Bandini, o un intento fracasado de colaboración con una reputada y temible guionista, Bandini se toma un breve respiro en Colorado, antes de regresar de nuevo al campo de batalla. En el corazón del libro nos encontramos con una imposible historia de amor, como es habitual show more en Fante, esta vez con su casera, que podría ser su madre. show less