"Pulp" by Charles Bukowski is a humorous and absurd novel that follows the misadventures of Los Angeles private investigator Nick Belane. The book combines elements of a classic noir detective tale with Bukowski's unique writing style, featuring quirky characters such as Lady Death, space aliens, and a dead French writer named Celine. Belane navigates through bizarre cases involving cheating spouses, vengeful bookies, and existential themes like identity and the meaninglessness of life. The story is a caricature of detective stories, filled with offhand comments, hard-boiled attitudes, and dark humor, making it a fun and unconventional read.

Characters:

The characters are quirky and exaggerated, with Belane serving as a reflection of Bukowski's darker, more comedic perspectives on life.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a blend of absurd humor and gritty realism, typical of Bukowski's unique character-driven approach.

Plot/Storyline:

The story centers around Nicky Belane, a detective with unusual cases involving death, aliens, and a search for meaning in a chaotic world.

Setting:

The setting of Los Angeles is pivotal, providing a gritty and humorous landscape for the absurd events of the plot.

Pacing:

Pacing is generally brisk, with a lively start that becomes less engaging towards the end.

I was sitting in my office, my lease had expired and McKelvey was starting eviction proceedings. It was a hellish hot day and the air conditioner was broken. A fly crawled across the top of my desk. I...

Notes:

Pulp is Charles Bukowski's final novel, published in 1994.

The main character, Nicky Belane, is a private detective in Los Angeles.

The novel features absurd elements such as space aliens and Lady Death.

Bukowski's style is fun and chaotic, reminiscent of traditional detective stories.

The characters have witty and fitting names like Nicky Belane and Lady Death.

Pulp is both a parody of and an homage to the noir genre.

The book includes dark humor and nihilistic themes about life and death.

Bukowski wrote Pulp without the constraints he felt in previous works, allowing for playful creativity.

Many readers find the book enjoyable if they are familiar with Bukowski's style.

Pulp uses a satirical lens to explore serious themes, making it unique among Bukowski's works.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Pulp contains high content warnings for themes of death, substance abuse, and explicit language, aligning with Bukowski’s characteristic style.

From The Publisher:

Opening with the exotic Lady Death entering the gumshoe-writer's seedy office in pursuit of a writer named Celine, this novel demonstrates Bukowski's own brand of humour and realism, opening up a landscape of seamy Los Angeles.

Ratings (9)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (2)
Liked It (5)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (17):

Read It (9)
Want To Read (7)
Not Interested (1)

What can you read after
Pulp?

See the list (31 books)

About the Author:

Born in 1920, Charles Bukowski became one of America's best-known writers. During his lifetime he published more than forty-five books of poetry and prose including the novels Post Office (1971), Factotum (1975), Women (1979) and Pulp (1994) all available from Virgin Books.

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Pulp

Charles Bukowski