literature

"With the Old Breed" works on two very different levels. One is an outstanding first-hand account of the campaigns for Peleliu and Okinawa from the perspective of the United States Marines. The second, which is what makes this book so special, is the tale of the of fear and abject horror that those young Marines had to deal with.

"With the Old Breed" isn't just about two military campaigns in the Pacific, it's about the emotional "campaign" that each soldier had to fight just to keep going. With an unflinching pen, Sledge takes the reader on a descent into the maelstrom of lead and blood that was these campaigns. The reader feels the terror, the cold and heat, the filth, the sorrow...and is also offered a glimpse of the extraordinary courage those young men showed.

"With the Old Breed" is a superb, moving account of men in combat. It is a must read for anyone who knows the operational history, but not the personal history, of WWII.

Short, sweet and to the point. "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" is the very best personal memoir on World War II that I have ever read.

Sledge's book very thoroughly describes and covers the physical, mental, and emotional horrors of battle. Sledge's first-hand experience and understanding of youth lost during battle is truly frightening. He describes the gloomy environment, the ear pounding sounds, foul stench, bitter taste, and experience of men, or boys in combat. Sledge writes about their fears and trepidation, but also writes about the bravery and camaraderie, or brotherhood these men had towards one another. Soldiers that fought and some witnessed the death of their buddies.

All readers need do is read a chapter, put their head back, close their eyes, and visualize what the American soldier went through to protect America. If there was a Pulitzer Prize for a personal memoir it would surely go to Eugene B. Sledge for his book. "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" should be required reading in all American History classes throughout our great land.

This is a gripping account of combat on Peleliu and Okinawa during World War II, without embellishment, without literary flourish. The narrative is simple, unadorned, raw. Sledge--a "fugitive from the law of averages" who survived some of the Pacific War's bloodiest battles--doesn't allude to Hemingway or Remarque, doesn't reference past wars (except fleetingly in discussing the martial tradition of the Corps); he's not interested in connecting his experiences to the ancient line of wars and warriors. Instead, he describes combat as it was, as he saw it and participated in it. Sledge takes readers onto those bloody islands--the relentless fighting on Peleliu, the stinking hell of Okinawa.

Sledge stresses over and over again that war is a waste, "a terrible waste." Young bodies are ripped and torn apart; young men are struck down in their prime and stripped of decades of potential life. Mentally, it is a waste, too. Exposed to brutal combat, civilized men quickly become savage themselves and, for example, pry gold teeth from dead--and, on at least one occasion that Sledge mentions, from wounded and still living--Japanese. There are many other moments throughout the book where the reader winces. And yet, while war is not glorious, there are qualities that men can show under fire, that shine brightly in comparison to the brutality: love, loyalty, bravery, esprit de corps, compassion. Sledge stresses those, too.

This is not an antiwar book, though. Sledge entered the abyss of war, endured hardships, confronted death, saw men torn down. He knows war is not pretty, not fun, not romantic. And yet he also knows that it is sometimes necessary and that, as citizens, we must sometimes sacrifice for our country. He concludes: "With privilege goes responsibility." So it does.

This book was extremely boring and seems to get more boring everytime I read it

Having first read MRS. MIKE as an assignment in Jr. High school I was inspired this time to read it for pleasure during this snowy, cold winter we are having here in Maine instead of a dreaded teacher's assignment. Although the story is a very fast read, enjoyable,and light reading; it does have suspense and, at times, an intense plot. This true story clearly and accurately depicts the rugged lifestyle of the cold north while also being a story of love and true devotion as Kathryn leaves her home of luxury in Boston and heads to Alaska with her new husband. Refreshing to spend an afternoon reading this again. I am also looking for the VHS (I understand you can only buy used copies now) and have had no luck. I am also a bit confused and wonder if someone can help. While searching the web and E-Bay I have found listings for: 1) Mrs. Mike 2) Mrs. Mike: The Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan and 3) Search for Joyful. I have read reviews that state there are three in the series, but noticed the sub-title of the (first) Mrs. Mike book is...The Story of K. M. Flannigan. Can anyone tell me if there are indeed three in this series or just two? Oddly enough I have found a synopsis and review for all three but haven't had any luck finding this so called "second" in the series. Any help?? HilTopBarn@AOL.com THANKS!

I am 13 years old. I just finished reading Mrs. Mike. My mother found the book at our public library and told me I should read it. I didn't bother to find out what it was about. You know how people always tell you not to judge a book by it's cover? That is exactly what I did. Since it was old and worn I expected it to be a book that I wouldn't find interesting, or very good. I was SO wrong! I have read many books and this is the VERY BEST book I have ever read. My mother told me that the book has stuck with her ever since she read it! I can see why. I couldn't stop reading it! It is a very well written book telling about a young Boston Girl, Katherine Mary O'Fallon and Sergent Mike Flannigan, a Canadian Mountie, who fall in love and start a new life in the Canadian Wilderness. There life is full of love, hardships, and friends you will never forget. I recemmend this book to anyone who can sit still long enough to read it!!

I saw this book in a book sale our class was having and I bought in on the spot! I'd already read The High King and I had been searching for all of the other Chronicles of Prydain. Right now, I'm searching for the movie that Disney made out of this book.

This story all starts when it becomes evident to Prince Gwydion that The Black Cauldron-- the tool which Arawn, the Lord of Death, uses to create deathless warriors which will forever be his slaves-- must be destroyed. Gwydion leads the quest to Annuvin, Arawn's domain, in hope of finding and destroying the Black Cauldron. But it is a surprise in store for Taran, Eilonwy, Gwydion, and everyone else, including the Death Lord hinself, when they get there and find out that the cauldron has disappeared!

In Lloyd Alexander's second book in his five-book series on the Land of Prydain, our brave young antagonist, Taran Wanderer, the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben, joins the battle host led by the honorable Prince Gwydion of Don in its quest to liberate and destroy the evil Black Crochan, an enormous iron cauldron. It is in this kettle that the dark lord, Arawn of Annuvin, creates the Cauldron-Born, his indestructible warriors, from the corpses of men. He who controls the Crochan, wields the power. Taran and his comrades must face witches in the Marshes of Morva and some surprising traitors before the climatic conclusion of this story.

Alexander weaves a masterful tale of good versus evil, with Taran wedged between, forced to choose time and again between right and wrong, loyalty and self-preservation, or blind obedience and moral obligation. This second book notches up the excitement. The plot is more curvy and better-conceived than book one. Taran's burden grows as does his reputation. Taran is one of the strongest and most likeable characters of all time, and as readers we begin to question his true origins. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes

Except the fact that was pretty slow at times, I still loved it!

This book is one of those rare novels that offers more to the reader after each read. Many delightful, inspirational little nuggets are tucked into the passages. All of the characters are 3D creations that breath off the page: Christy, the eager, passionate, idealistic young teacher, Fairlight, the homespun princess, Little Burl, the lovable student, Dr. MacNeil,the enigmatic physician, David, the confident preacher, Miss Alice, the woman with quiet depth and wisdom, and so many more. By book's end these characters are flesh and blood, their stories being spun out beautifully, but never cloyingly, against the proud, stubborn, hard, life of the mountains. Christy is so many things; a suspense, romance, adventure, religious, and biographical book, yet not one of the plot lines ever seem strained or outrageous. Perhaps because this story is rooted in fact and Catherine Marshall handles her characters and their actions lovingly. The TV show did not hold true to the book in so many ways, Christy was not given the "desire to grab life" as she had in the book, Miss Alice was turned into an officious, plow-ahead kind of character, David fell short of his vigorous, charming, confident portrayel in the book (what happened to the "booming voice"?). All together I felt disappointed when the show would veer into sentimentality and cheesiness, although I'm sure the director never meant it too. But I love this novel and have read it again and again. I will also continue to do so whenever I am in need of a good book.

While reading Christy, I couldn't help but wish I could be as bold and courageous as this nineteen-year-old missionary teacher. Christy, a young woman beginning her journey in faith as she moves from a well-respected town into a mountainous chaos, has always felt she was more than just a nice dress at fancy tea parties, and proves herself true in this inspirational story. Defying her parent's wishes, Christy leaves her home and moves to Cutter Gap, a crude community in which the children are in deep need to learn. The people of Cutter Gap are extremely proud of their heritage and wonder about this new woman from the city coming to teach their children. Ms. Alice Henderson, a woman who helps with the mission, is Christy's inspiration to keep going even when she believes failure has beaten her. David Grantland, the preacher of the town, is immediately drawn to Christy's courage and independence. Dr. McNeil, the only doctor in the community, is also drawn to Christy and the light that shines through her as she finally becomes an accepted part of Cutter Gap. As she teaches a classroom full of encouraging young faces, she also learns herself that you have to keep trying and never give up on your dreams. When tragedy hits her with all its might, the love for one man will bring her back to the world, to him. This tale of courage and love will pull at your heart!

I read Christy when I was in fourth grade. Even so young, I think enough of
my personality had formed to enable me to recognize myself in her. I
had the same relentless desire to fight injustice, and, like Christy, I
sometimes went about it the wrong way (such as arguing with my teachers,
parents, and principals:)). Fervor is difficult to reason with. I am now
nineteen years old, the same age as Christy was when she left Ashville. I
have recently picked up the book and reread it, and I am astonished to
find all my feelings and thoughts perfectly mirrored in those incredible
pages. True, I am not a teacher in the Smoky Mountains. Instead, I am a
philosophy major attending college. But the story always seemed to me to
be about the elemental feelings and changes in Christy, not merely about
what happened to her. Millions of different circumstances play out in the
millions of different lives every day. But there is unity in humankind's
response to a situation. My best friend has never died, but I've known
sorrow. I don't battle moonshiners, but I've known struggles. I've never
seen the Smoky Mountains in the morning, but I've known joy. I've never
sewn buttons onto a little girl's coat, but I've known growth. When I read
Christy, I don't focus on the events that changed her. I find my greatest
bond to the book to be those very human feelings Christy experiences,
those very human feelings that we all share. All the emotions I
experience when taking in the events of my life, I find echoed back to me
through Christy. And that is why it is the story I will always return to.

This is one of the most wonderful books ever written. James Allen explains in his "easy to read" way, how we are the ones responsible for the present state of our own lives (not someone else or some circumstance in our life). As he says, "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself". That's why two different people can see the same event and view it in a totally different way. He also stresses that fighting the outer circumstance or "effect", will not help, since the real "cause" is in our hearts. He makes it very clear that if we wish to change the world, we will have to start with ourselves. And a big part of the work, will be to realize that we aren't usually even aware of our thoughts (which means we don't know what we're asking for). If you truly want to change your life, for the better - this book is a good place to start. James Allen wrote several other books, that are sometimes difficult to find, but well worth looking for. "Out From the Heart" is one of my favorites, as it gives "more basic" instuctions for those of us who have a lot to learn about ourselves. If you like James Allen's books you may also like books written by Vernon Howard, Guy Finley, Maurice Nicoll (who studied with P.D. Ouspensky and G.I. Gurdjieff), and J. Krishnamurti.

This book is one of its kind, and one of the best! EVen Anthony Robbins takes quotes from this book and recommends it to his listeners. It's amazing, such a tiny little book, yet it contains the most important believe that each of us must have in order to succeed. "Success is caused by successful thoughts!" Bad thoughts can never produce right results. I have already seen how this works in my life. Years ago I was sick with negative self sabotage and thinking. Then I came upon some books especially Harold SHerman's "TNT-The Power Within You", Joseph Murphy's "The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind", etc and this one. Read this one and you'll be convinced why you can't wish things to go right when your thinking is wrong. Like the ignorant saying "Hoping for the best but expecting the worst".... break out of that my friend. Stop poisoning your mind... learn why and how with this book! You'll soon see that this world is but a mirror, reflecting to you what you think and do.

The greatest invention of all time - started in someone's brain. The visionary.

What is amazing is that we are all visionaries. However because a negative visionary is not called a visionary, we don't perceive ourselves to be visionaries. This book shows you that you too are a visionary. You do create your own future. That said, what type of future do you want in your life?

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

If the only thing that comes to your mind when you are thinking about manga is Sailor Moon, you are missing a lot!
My friend and I were discussing graphic novels one day, when she asked if I had read Ranma 1/2. I hadn't so she gave me a brief synopsis. I immediately went to the library and checked it out. I swear, I must have read it like 5 times and can probably recite bits of it by memory. It's amazing-the jokes were funny everytime I read it!
The story is basically about a a boy named Ranma Saotome and his father, Genma, both martial artists on a mission of training. They come upon an ancient, cursed training ground. There are hundreds of springs, each with a legend and a curse. Ranma knocks his father into "Spring of Drowned Panda" and now every time he is splashed with cold water, he turns into a panda. (Hot water changes him back.) Genma the panda knocks Ranma into a spring-"Spring of Drowned Girl!" To top off his misery, his father has engaged him to his best friend's youngest daughter, Akane Tendo. It really doesn't help that Akane hates men.
It's not easy for Ranma to be a half boy/half girl. For instance, it's really hard for him to keep his secret. Not to mention some people love him as a boy and hate him as a girl, and some people hate him as a boy and love him as a girl. (You'd be surprised how many whacky ways he gets wet.)
Along the way, we are introduced to a whole handful of zany characters, such as Tatewaki Kuno, Nabiki, Soun, and Kasumi Tendo, and the eternally lost boy, Ryoga Hibiki. He is holding a major grudge on Ranma, but we don't find out why until the 2nd book.
The only bad part is that the pictures are really dark. So be forewarned, it's sometimes hard to tell where one picture ends and another begins.
I love this book mostly because of the humor, and the fights are pretty cool too.
Also, beware if you don't want a serious addiction. Once you've read one, you HAVE to read the rest. Believe me, this will cause many sleepless nights. You will cry out in your sleep, "Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! Must...have...next...Ranma...book...!!! Aieee!" If you do read these and become hooked, you will probably go broke, they're pretty expensive! (At my local bookstore, they are about $15.95!)
But if you are really looking for a good read, try Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi.
Also reccommended: Inu-Yasha, Cardcaptor Sakura, Planet Ladder, Slayers, Samurai Girl Real Bout High School, and Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Of the many mangas (that's anime in book form for those of you who are new) I have read, I'd have to say this one tops them all. Rumiko Takahasi, the "Queen of Romantic Comedy," is none other than a Japanese artistic marvel. She also came up with Inuyasha, which I have to say is good, but none beat Ranma 1/2.

This first volume introduces Ranma, a boy whos father is perhaps too eager for martial arts training. Unable to read Chinese, he took his son to the legendary training grouds, the Accursed Springs in China. Ranma knocked his father into one spring and he came up...a panda? More than a little weirded out Ranma fell into another spring, and when he was once a [HOT!] guy, came up a well-figured girl! This curse is lifted with warm water, but when doused with cold water they turn back into their other strange forms! An old friend of the Saotomes (Ranma and his pop) has three daughters, and they were going to have Ranma marry one of the girls to join the families and keep up the martial arts schools. Well, that was before they came, and when the girls find out, the youngest, Akane Tendo, becomes engaged to him (by their fathers' choice, of course). Their personalities clash, but they'll just have to get used to it. What follows is a series of odd but very funny mishaps that'll have you eagerly awaiting the next page...and the next volume. That's how it is, it's a real page turner and always leaves you wanting to read the next book.

I would reccommend this to anyone who loves anime, mangas, anyone who's into martial arts, and/or appreciates a good comedy. But don't think that's all, there's a really good storyline that's pretty easy to follow, and wonderful characters with many personalities. This is a must for any anime lover, boy, girl, or half and half!

FYI I'm 14 not 12 or under. This is probably my favorite manga though Inu-yasha is a close 2nd. But i do know Rumiko Takahashi is my favorite manga-ka. Now moving on to the manga, Ranma 1/2 is about a guy who turns into a girl and all of his adventures. Now don't get the wrong idea he is not a girl permenatly only when he is hit with cold water, hot water changes him back to a guy. That's all i'm explaining (cuz im lazy) go and read it your self and you better like it!

Of all the memorable characters in literature, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is justly one of the most famous (rivaled by only a small handful of others). In the Complete Sherlock Holmes, you find this peculiar, proper, analytical, brilliant consulting detective. You also meet his equally famous boswell, Dr. Watson, and unforgettable criminals, plots and deductions. There are four novels and fifty-six short stories. Many of them are masterpieces. A few, especially some of the later works, are dated and disappointing (thus only four stars). But do not be too concerned. After you read this series, you will see why the pipe smoking genius of Baker Street has fans throughout the world. Highly recommended.

This Sherlock Holmes collection remains an enduring classic that for those who love this take on Victorian England can be read and reread with great pleasure. A good part of that pleasure is the language and the mystique of the time and place, but most of the pleasure, I suspect, comes from the way Holmes's mind works. It is especially fun to view that mind through the stuffy fog of Watson's narration. No matter how hard he tries to figure out what is going on, Holmes is always several steps ahead of him - and the reader as well.

The most fascinating aspect of these stories is the strangely modern character that Conan Doyle created in Holmes, a mystery man with an ill defined past, who plays the violin, possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of odd minutia that only the FBI labs could fully appreciate, thinks blindingly fast and always outside the box, is addicted to drugs and strangely indifferent to sex (as far as Watson knows, anyway). A far cry from what we have come to expect a detective to be, but SO entertaining in these very artificial melodramas. These stories are so far from what any kind of police or detective work have ever been that one could dismiss them, except then we would miss the fun.

I discovered Sherlock Holmes via a couple of short stories in anthologies in the late 1950's, when I was in 7th grade. These whetted my appetite for more, so I was tickled to discover a copy of this book (in an earlier printing) at the house of a friend. I wish it had been available as a multi-volume edition -- this one was mighty hard to sneak under the covers for post-bedtime reading by flashlight. And it's highly unsuited for summertime use: it'll sink your canoe or cause your hammock to sag to ground level! Still, it's a good, reasonably priced, solidly bound, and well-printed volume that should be in the library of any lover of classic mystery stories.
As for the stories themselves, they're not only THE best mysteries in the English language, but fun to read as a picture of life in the Victorian era. There are some clinkers, and some of the situations and characters are rather absurd (Doyle shares with most of his fellow-countrymen an ineptitude for writing convincing American English!), but in general I'm still amazed at Doyle's ingenuity and his convincing portrayal of life in many different sectors of society. This is one of the few favorite books from my childhood that I still enjoy -- not as an exercise in nostalgia but as a Good Read.

I got this book as a gift an I was interested cause I had seen the movie, by within the first 5 pages, I was hooked. I read the entire book right away. It was so intense at times and so well worded that i fell in love with Jim Carroll. This book was about his life growing up in the cruel streets of New York exposing himself to prostitutes, drugs, and more drugs. He let us all deal with hard times with him by writing down his experiances in his diary. I loved this book. And for all of you people who think Leonardo DiCaprio has something to do with this book--forget it. He's not. They just put him on the cover and that's ALL.

Jim Carroll started to write this diary when he was only 12 years of age. At this time, he was finding every drug he could could get into his hands and took his first shot of heroin when he was only 13 years of age. A dark book, in the juvenile sense, but in the poetic sense, a book about a excellent book about searching for something pure. A reviewer wrote, "I think that this book was written to tell other teenagers not to use drugs." That's not true. It's a true story and merely a diary of truth. It became known as a biography for the rock star Jim Carroll. Another reviewer wrote, "This book is dark and vulgar." It is. It is really. But if you look at the book this way, there's no reason you should be reading it. Think of it this way, Puke and Pure. At the last entry of the diary Jim is in the headquarters a place where junkies from all over hang out, totally zonked and saying, "I got to go in and puke. I just want to be pure..." To me, the diary is about a lost young poet trying to find redemption through writing and finds that, not at the end, but at the end of when he becomes pure. This diary is vulgar and dark. Many swear wrods come into place, and many sexual indescence is in this book. But in the end Jim, the young poet is looking for redemption through his writing and searching for something pure...

This book was sooo super. It was very nutso to read and I'm a crazy guy. When he sodomized his teacher in that giant tub of potato salad I was like WHOA

This is an okay book for 7 & 8 years olds. It has very little real information about puberty and provides only a broad overview. If you want your girl to have detailed information about the changes her body will undergo, or information about changes in boys and social dangers (std's, unintended pregnancy, etc.), this book provides no information. It is a primary, introductory book at best.

Okay, since I was growing up pretty fast, I was looking for a book that would give me advice and information about the changes I was going through. My mom kept on buying and suggesting book after book, but I just couldn't find the right one. Then she brings me "The Care & Keeping of You; The Body Book For Girls." Alright, i have to admit that at first I was a little hessitant about reading the book cuz I thought it would be just like the other book I had read in the past. Boy was I wrong! Once I started, I couldn't put it down! It has absolutely everything! From tips on facial care to braces. It still is helping me a lot! I reccommend this to any girl who's undergoing puberty and can't just find the right book to help her. Congratulations to AMERICAN GIRL! :)

My daughter is 9 and I thought it to be an approprate time to start the "talks". This age group is still so innocent, it's hard for them to fully understand all that is coming up for them in just a few short years. The thing I like about this book is that kids can absorb information at their own pace and as they need it. What they're not ready for they won't read and when they are, they can look at it with some privacy (I've even heard her giggle about it with her friends).

The book coveres a lot of self care like teeth brushing, showering, and the basics. The last part of this book is about menstruation and body hair. There is no sex talk like some other puberty books.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Ham on Rye by Bukowski. I'd read some assorted poems and short stories of his that I found amusing because of their bluntness and coarseness. I found that Ham On Rye was much in the same vein: that is, the story of a non-comformist who has to pay the price in America for not selling out and becoming just another salesman or suit. Bukowski needed to follow his own music. This book is obviously autobiographical, and it depicts his rough and sad childhood: his abusive father who wouldn't cut him any slack, his skin condition that pock-marked his face and made him feel like an outcast, his alienation from school and his classmates, his alienation from most of America and the values America holds most dear: being the "alpha dog," the big "winner." Bukowski in effect is a foreigner in his own land, a socially isolated individual who escapes the cruelty of people by eventually becoming a writer and indulging in drink -- while longing for a poetry that our banal consumer society tries to squash. I love this book. It's an easy-to-read and very personal novel, which would probably be marketed today as a "memoir." I know Bukowski is NOT read in college and that's because he's generally "anti-New Yorker," anti-understatement. He's the John Belushi (think of Pluto in Animal House) of literature. His characters WILL COME OUT TALKING, LIKE THIS!!.. Reading Bukowski is an intimate experience, like reading the work of a friend or watching a friend's home-movie. He's largely a self-taught artist so his work is sometimes rough, sometimes over-the-top, sometimes sloppy -- but always full of humor and always largely entertaining and loads of fun. This is my first Bukowski novel, but it certainly won't be my last! So crack open a brew, shut off that stupid TV, kick back in your dirty shorts and read Ham on Rye. I also agree with the reviewer who recommended The Losers' Club by Richard Perez, another lively, funny novel that I could relate to.

Most fans of the late, great Charles Bukowski, myself included, list Ham On Rye as their favorite Bukowski novel - and rightfully so. This novel is actually a thinly-veiled autobiography of the man we knew and loved as "The Bard of Booze and Broads." We see through the eyes of young Henry Chinaski as he comes of age in Depression-era America, the product of a dysfunctional and physically abusive household. From his early childhood as a desperately lonely, yet antisocial little boy to his adolescence (where he struggles with crippling acne and develops a love of literature), we see the genesis of a great writer. Bukowski pulls no punches (no pun intended) in his descriptions of abuse suffered at the hands of his father, a coldhearted, arrogant, sadistic SOB. The reader is drawn in to Bukowski's passionate determination to be the exact opposite of what proper society tries to mold its youth into. A powerful and heartbreaking read. Great work, Buk! R.I.P - you will be missed!

At one point in this book, the main character has started a reading mission by going to the library, picking out books (mainly the "classics") and reading them frantically. Later on he comments on these "classics": ".....they are all a massive pretentious pomp about not much". Now, that is a heavy, ultraheavy statement to make when it comes to "classics". While i have the same opinion i also think that if you're going to deliver a hardcore critique like that you better be able to back it up. Bukowski does so in an overwhleming way not only in this (autobiographical) novel but basically in all his books.

The thing about Bukowski is that his writting is so direct, so mercilessly direct in fact, that you feel more like watching a film rather than reading a book.

Take the story in "Ham on rye" for example: this story for all intends and purposes is not an extraordinary story. By no means. Stories about poverty or growing up in financially dire times (like the 30s in America) can be found aplenty. Stories about abusive or clueless parents (or both) also abound in literature. Stories about discovering sexuality during teenagehood just as well. But in the end, no matter what the story, extraordinary or not, what matters is who tells it and how.

Someone can start telling you the most incredible story and still fail to grab you with it. Bukowski could be talking for 4 pages about some "chick" he saw working as a clerk somewhere and the fantasies he has about her and you'll be totally engulfed in reading it. Or, he could be describing something as mundane as a football game and the bravado involvd in it and you'll feel like being right there standing next to a linebacker and due in for a hard hit.

All this is intimidating and charismatic enough but when Bukowski spices it all up with his cynical and ruthless humour the sum is almost always a masterpiece.

I've read quite some of his novels and regardless of the theme what always gets me is the power of his narrative. This guy can be compared to an elite few in that sector and those few would have very little to do with "classics" but more with writers who came straight from the underground of their time and who have the gift of being able to take in every important detail of what they are observing.

"Ham on rye" is basically Bukowski growing up in the 30s while a crisis is at its peak, with a father who has made it a mission to beat him up systematically so he can become "worthy", a mother who's as clueless as your nearest wall, and a case of horrible acne (the "worst on the planet" he says) which condemns him to outsiderdom . But acne or no acne, Bukowski was an outsider anyway. He never "fit-in" exactly because he was beyond most of the people around him. He saw things they never saw and grasped things they never even suspected they were there for the grasping.

It's also about a young Bukoswki discovering the opposite sex, and the drive that basically makes this planet go round, and it's simoultaneously a young Bukoski forming his first sociological conclusions which -predictably- are quite detached from the mainstream.

If you've never read this author start here. It might be widely under discussion what his best novel is, but thsi one is one that easily combines all his talents in a hilarious, often explosive and then again bitter package. Those who claim that once you read "Ham on Rye" you'll want to read all his novels are absolutely dead on.