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Hollywood
a novel
263 pages
A booze-soaked, deadpan stumble through the glittering, absurd machinery of the film industry.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like sitting at a dive bar listening to a brilliant, cynical drunk recount a surreal encounter with high society. The narrative moves at a brisk, conversational clip, propelled by stripped-down, punchy dialogue and a relentless, deadpan humor that strips all the manufactured glamour away from the movie business. The mood is weary but deeply amused, steeped in cheap wine and cigarette smoke, constantly contrasting the gritty, unbothered reality of the narrator with the manicured, fragile egos of directors and producers. It will delight readers who crave unvarnished, anti-establishment narratives and dark, observational comedy. You don't read this for a triumphant hero's journey; you read it to watch a stubborn outsider refuse to play by the rules of a fundamentally ridiculous world.
- Mood
- booze-soaked
- absurdist
- weary
- gritty
- Tone
- deadpan
- cynical
- irreverent
- wry
- detached
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- artistic compromise · the absurdity of fame · authenticity vs. artificiality · the hustle of the creative class
- The writing
- Stripped-down, unpretentious, and dialogue-heavy, favoring blunt honesty over lyrical flourish.
- The arc
- The narrator moves from bemused detachment to a weary, cynical acceptance of the absurd machinery of the world.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate dark humor, unapologetic anti-heroes, and a cynical, unvarnished look at human nature.
Content notes
- alcoholism
- coarse language
- sexual content
- misogyny
- substance abuse
About the book
Bukowski's alter ego, Henry Chinaski, returns, revelling in his eternal penchant for booze, women and horse-racing as he makes the precarious journey from poet to screenwriter. Based on Bukowski's experiences when working on the film Barfly, the absurdity and egotism of the film industry are laid bare in this deadpan, touching and funny glimpse into the endless negotiations and back-stabbings of La-la land. Hollywood is an irreverent roman - clef that serves up the beating heart of Hollywood with razor-sharp humour.
Description from Open Library.
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