Ham on Rye (1982) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

show spoilers

Characters/People edit see section history

• Henry Chinaski: Add a description of this character.
• Frank
• Jimmy Hatcher
• Becker
• Baldy
• Hank
• David
• Harry Walden
• Chuck
• Pete
• John
• Eddie
• Wagner
• Anna
• Miss Ackerman
• Daniel
• Lana
• O. K.
• Mrs. Fretag
• Joe Stapen
• Martinez
• Mr. Knox
• Katherine
• Richard Waite
• Mrs. Westphal
• Fastshoes
• Igor
• Lila Jane
• Harry Gibson
• Mrs. Mortenson
• Stanley Greenberg
• Abe
• Morrie
• Delmore
• Lilly Fischman
• Mr. Hamilton
• Marie
• Mr. Stanhope
• Billy
• Mrs. Pirozzi

Quotes edit see section history

• “The problem was you had to keep choosing between one evil or another, and no matter what you chose, they sliced a little more off you, until there was nothing left. At the age of 25 most people were finished. A whole goddamned nation of assholes driving automobiles, eating, having babies, doing everything in the worst way possible, like voting for the presidential candidate who reminded them most of themselves.”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• So, that’s what they wanted: lies. Beautiful lies. That’s what they needed. People were fools.

  Highlighted by 105 Kindle customers

• The problem was you had to keep choosing between one evil or another, and no matter what you chose, they sliced a little bit more off you, until there was nothing left. At the age of 25 most people were finished. A whole god-damned nation of assholes driving automobiles, eating, having babies, doing everything in the worst way possible, like voting for the presidential candidate who reminded them most of themselves.

  Highlighted by 91 Kindle customers

• When someone else’s truth is the same as your truth, and he seems to be saying it just for you, that’s great.

  Highlighted by 88 Kindle customers

• Words weren’t dull, words were things that could make your mind hum. If you read them and let yourself feel the magic, you could live without pain, with hope, no matter what happened to you.

  Highlighted by 76 Kindle customers

• A college education could destroy an individual for life. Books could make you soft. When you put them down, and really went out there, then you needed to know what they never told you.

  Highlighted by 71 Kindle customers

• “I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.”

  Highlighted by 68 Kindle customers

• The whole earth was nothing but mouths and assholes swallowing and shitting, and fucking.

  Highlighted by 63 Kindle customers

• I had noticed that both in the very poor and very rich extremes of society the mad were often allowed to mingle freely.

  Highlighted by 55 Kindle customers

• I had decided against religion a couple of years back. If it were true, it made fools out of people, or it drew fools. And if it weren’t true, the fools were all the more foolish.

  Highlighted by 50 Kindle customers

• I sat down on the couch. Getting drunk was good. I decided that I would always like getting drunk. It took away the obvious and maybe if you could get away from the obvious often enough, you wouldn’t become obvious yourself.

  Highlighted by 49 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• America
• Newhall
• Germany
• King Kong
• Los Angeles
• Mrs. Kansas
• L.a. County General Hospital
• Europe
• Main Street

First Sentence edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Charles Bukowski (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Poetry › Poets, A-Z › ( B ) › Bukowski, Charles
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Authors, A-Z › ( B ) › Bukowski, Charles
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Poetry › Single Authors
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Teens › Literature & Fiction