The novel "Bread with Ham" (Charles Bukowski): summary, reviews

“Ham and Bread” is an autobiographical novel by one of the prominent American writers of the 20th century. His name is Charles Bukowski. The books of this author are a rare combination of naturalism, which surprises, and sometimes even shocks, sad humor and, oddly enough, sentimental lyrics.

about the author

In order to understand what a writer is, you need to read his books. What did Bukowski write? “Bread with ham”, “Hollywood”, “Women” and many more stories and poems that sophisticated ladies do not read, preferring women's novels, but which critics argue about, because the work of this outstanding personality is really a special event in literature.

What is known about the author of the novel “Ham Bread”? Those who read his books or watched films shot according to his scripts know that Bukowski had two hobbies in life: writing and drinking. Both the first and second he indulged selflessly.

The destiny of a person largely depends on the first years of life. Family, education, environment - all these are factors that influence the formation of personality. Therefore, in order to understand how Bukowski was, one should read “Bread with Ham”. This book reflects the events of his childhood, which, perhaps, predetermined the further fate of the writer.

Parents

The first memories of the author of the novel “Ham Bread” are associated with people who are constantly present. One is big, loud and grouchy. The other is smaller. The boy is afraid of both of them. The first is the father. The second important person in Henry's life (this is the real name of the writer) is his mother. This woman has always been indifferent to the violent methods of education that her absurd husband applied to his son.

The father was guided by a peculiar pedagogical principle: "The child needs to be seen, but not to be heard." If he began to hear more than he would have liked, he pulled out a belt for straightening razors and beat his offspring. After such educational procedures, Henry experienced obvious inconvenience, taking a sitting position. And most importantly, each time the father lost his meaning. This man in the eyes of the protagonist of the novel “Bread with Ham” was only an annoying obstacle that over time had to be overcome.

There was also a grandmother, who often promised Henry's parents that she would bury them. What this woman had in mind, sharing such plans, the boy did not understand, but he remembered these words for life. Mother, father and grandmother talked about a lot and, as a rule, in raised tones. But they almost never spoke the name of the only person Henry loved.

Granddad

His name was Leonardo. Henry knew about him that he was a disgusting person and also exudes an unpleasant odor. He smelled really bad, because he abused strong drinks, simply put, he was always drunk. But this smell did not bother Henry. For the boy, his grandfather was the best person. He gave him a German cross on a ribbon and a pocket watch. This event was almost the only pleasant one that related to Chinaski’s relatives (the author replaces this surname not only in this book, but also in other works).

The book “Ham and Bread” also tells about other relatives of the writer. Author Charles Bukowski says that for each of them, his father had many harsh, critical comments. It should be said that Bukovsky Sr. (in the novel - Chinaski) did not particularly like people, neither his own nor anyone else's. Wherever he appeared, he began to demand something, to spew out a lot of obscene words, steady expressions and sayings. Often he used his fists.

Loneliness

At a fairly mature age, Charles Bukowski wrote Ham Bread. However, childhood impressions are recreated in the autobiographical novel rather vividly. These memories are usually bleak. But in his books there is no sugary sentimentality, which is present, for example, in Dickens' novels devoted to an unhappy childhood. Bukowski’s is simple and concise. But precisely thanks to the style of this writer, his works especially penetrate the soul and heart.

Henry's parents did not allow him to be friends with other children. They were chronically short of money, but sometimes they considered themselves somehow very wealthy and highly educated. Therefore, it was strictly forbidden for the son to march with siblings from unreliable families.

One of the casual buddies was David. He played the violin and was slightly cross-eyed, for which he was beaten by the neighboring boys. Henry repeatedly suffered for communicating with this disrespectful person. But still, loneliness was the constant companion of the hero of the novel “Bread and Ham”. Hopeless, gloomy, depressing ...

Layla Jane

Chinaski’s life was first love. She became a neighbor girl named Laila, who sometimes passed by the house of a lonely Henry. She asked him strange questions and made not quite chaste suggestions. Layla was fabulously beautiful, and the author portrayed their first date with a simple naturalism characteristic of his style.

Milkman

Father still continued to beat Henry with a straight razor belt. The son was increasingly moving away from him. But one day, my father offered to go together to deliver milk. The fact is that Chinaski worked as a senior milkman, but not everyone wanted to pay for the product that he delivered every morning. The son witnessed the “knocking out” of money and those strange actions by which the milkman tried to achieve justice. One of the debtors flatly refused to pay, but invited Father Henry to the house. What they discussed there for a long time, the boy did not know, but later he saw this woman in the parental home. Mother cried, and father claimed that he loved both: both his spouse and that strange lady who refused to pay for dairy products.

Lawn

Henry’s father didn’t have enough of his son’s faults, as a result of which he could take his soul away by using a belt. And so he decided to apply a new pedagogical method, forcing the offspring to cut the lawn every week. Coming to work, Henry diligently performed the task of his father. But he never managed to do it properly. One or two blades of grass treacherously erupted and destroyed the overall picture. Such violations in the decorative vegetation that covered the lawn in front of the house did not escape his father’s eyes, and therefore he again pulled out his favorite belt.

Writing about President Herbert Hoover

In an autobiographical novel, the first literary experience was reflected by Charles Bukowski. Ham Bread, the entire text of which undoubtedly characterizes the author better than the summary, does not contain many events. A significant role in the perception of the novel Bukowski plays style. Some critics compared this writer’s artistic language to Hemingway’s manner.

The peculiarity of Bukowski's style is not only brevity and conciseness, but also the ability to enclose a deep meaning in one small phrase. Once, while still in school, Henry wrote an essay. The assignment was that the students should be present at the solemn meeting with Herbert Hoover, and then expound what they saw in the written work.

Chinaski failed to see the president personally. But I still had to write an essay. And he did this, although there was not a drop of truth in the composition. His writing has become the best. And the teacher read it with enthusiasm. After this momentous event, the future writer realized an important truth: “People need a beautiful lie. They love it when they hang noodles on their ears. "

Alcohol

One of his friends once gave Henry a drink. It was magical. Chinaski discovered a way to get rid of the painful feeling of loneliness, which did not leave him from an early age. The world, which is really not easy for a thinking person, has found new colors. Since then, he could hide from a reality that was extremely burdensome to Henry, he could with the help of books, literary creativity and ... booze. As a rule, he combined writing with the use of alcohol.

In a state of severe intoxication, Henry once hit his father. Then he was only fifteen. After that, Chinaski Sr. never raised his hands against his son. And later their relationship completely collapsed. My father found the stories of a young author, which were hidden deep in a drawer of a desk. The manuscripts along with Henry's belongings were on the street.

The author of the novel “Bread with Ham” perceives differently. Reviews of this book, however, almost all agree on one thing - extremely truthful. Even readers brought up exclusively on classical literature, having difficulty perceiving the specific language of this writer, cannot call it bad or mediocre. In his style, there is something attractive that does not allow you to postpone the book just because of the many obscene words, which, however, are a fundamental feature of Bukowski's work.

Perhaps it's all about honesty. Frankity Bukowski is not something superfluous. There are exactly as many of them in his books as the reader needs to come to the conclusion: "This is exactly what I thought about, but was afraid to say."