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Charles Bukowski – War All the Time | Review

March 11, 2018 danecobain

Authors A-E (By Surname)Poetry

Title: War All the Time

Author: Charles Bukowski

Type: Poetry

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 4*/5

Charles Bukowski – War All the Time

War All the Time is one of Bukowski’s later collections, bringing together poems from 1981–1984 in a fascinating collection that actually breaks some of the trends that Bukowski had set during his earlier work. He’s mellower, but he’s also more preoccupied with death, and while he still races the horses, he’s slightly less of a womaniser.

If you’ve ever read Bukowski before then you know roughly what to expect here, although it’s worth noting that a few of the poems also play with prose and one of them is a long piece with multiple different sections. Some of them are the other way round, super short and to the point, but they’re delivered in Bukowski’s typical simplistic but effective style. It’s really remarkable how much of a punch he was able to pack, and Bukowski got better and better at that towards the end of his life.

Still, this isn’t my favourite Bukowski collection, but it’s still a pretty good book regardless. It’s particularly interesting to see him reflect upon the writers that have lived and died in his lifetime, as well as on lost loves and the various unpleasant things that happened to him. There are also some poems about cats, but they’re not particularly cheerful. Still, I could relate to them a lot because I have a cat too.

All in all, this is a pretty typical Bukowski collection and it was exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up. I recommend reading some of his work if you get a chance, and this is a decent place to start. Enjoy.

Charles Bukowski

Click here to buy War All the Time.

Peter James – Love You Dead | Review

May 16, 2016 danecobain

Authors F-J (By Surname)Fiction

Title: Love You Dead

Author: Peter James

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 340

Rating: 9/10

Peter James – Love You Dead

This is the second Peter James book that I’ve read, the first one being The House On Cold Hill, and I have to say that I highly enjoyed both of them. Whilst the first two were sent to me for free from a publicist, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up going through the rest of his work, even if I have to slowly collect them when I see them at charity shops.

Here, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace sets out to capture the culprits of a number of different crimes, all of which end up coming together towards the end. Perhaps most interestingly of all is the main villain, a scheming woman with a passion for snakes and other dangerous animals. She has a habit of marrying rich old men and then promptly finding herself as a widow – you should know the type, it’s been overused throughout the years, but James uses it to good effect.

The characterisation is pretty good, the story line is interesting enough, and overall it’s a very competent crime thriller, but you’d expect nothing less from Peter James – after all, he’s made a career out of it. It’s not quite good enough to blow the reader’s mind, but it is still a great read that keeps you turning through the pages, aided by the fact that the chapters are so short.

One other thing that’s worth mentioning is the research that James puts in – he knows a lot about the police force, and he also pays a lot of attention to whatever subject matters he comes across. In this case, he covers snakes and poisons, as well as the effects of those poisons, and it’s clear that he’s put a lot of work in to make sure that it feels believable. And he does a good job of talking about modern trends and technologies, too – it doesn’t feel forced or artificial, and that’s a good thing.