Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski

I had the opportunity this past week to reread a book a read a few years ago called Ham on Rye. This is one of a handful of semi-autobiographical novels, written by Charles Bukowski, that follow the life of a character by the name of Henry Chinaski. The majority of Bukowski’s works are in poetry and prose which brings an element of beauty and fluidity to his writing. This book follows Henry Chinaski through his horrendous childhood, acne-covered teenage years, and eye-opening post high school life.

All the pictures have what is intended to be a look of white air covering them. White air is a constant theme throughout the book. Chinaski finds entertainment in very strange things and couldn’t be less interested by the mundane routine of life that he refers to as “white air.” The pictures represent the things in his life that shined through the white air.

All through Chinaski's childhood he is abused by his father in multiple ways. The most graphic way that is depicted in the book is when his father makes him drop his pants in the bathroom and beats him with his strop. The first beatings are bad and Chinaski can't handle them. As time goes on, he builds up a mental and physical barrier against them and doesn't allow the beatings to affect him.

"My father seemed to sense the difference in me and he began to lash me harder, again and again, but the more he beat me the less I felt. It was almost as if he was the one who was helpless. Something had occurred, something had changed. My father stopped, puffing, and I heard him hanging up the strop. He walked to the door. I turned.

"Hey," I said.

My father turned and looked at me.

"Give me a couple more," I told him, "if it makes you feel any better."

"Don't you dare talk to me that way!" he said.

I looked at him. I saw folds of flesh under his chin and around his neck. I saw sad wrinkles and crevices. His face was tired pink putty. He was in his undershirt, and his belly sagged, wrinkling his undershirt. The eyes were no longer fierce. His eyes looked away and couldn't meet mine. Something had happened. The bath towels knew it, the shower curtain knew it, the mirror knew it, the bathtub and the toilet knew it. My father turned and walked out the door. He knew it. It was my last beating. From him."

Being a "tough guy" is one of the few things Chinaski has going for him in the book. He is consistently fighting, arguing, cussing, and talking about women. Fighting is an outlet for him. He enjoys it. He isn't the most technical fighter but in most of his fights he can last long enough that the other guys is worn out and then he goes after them. Fighting is a way of life for Chinaski and his friends all through this book.

"Then it was just head-to-head, no more boxing. His punches came fast and hard. He was more accurate, had more power, yet I was landing some hard shots too and it made me feel good. The more he hit me the less I felt it. I had my guy sucked in, I liked the action. Then Gene and Dan were between us. They pulled us apart.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Don't stop this thing! I can take his ass!"

"Cut the shit, Hank," said Gene. "Look at yourself."

I looked down. The front of my shirt was dark with blood and there were splotches of pus. The punches had broken open three or four boils. That hadn't happened in my fight with Gene."

 Women are a fascination for Chinaski. Although he doesn't really get involved with them, he is constantly talking about the women he sees. He has a special interest in their legs. He is always talking about how when the women readjust and cross their legs again, they reveal more of their legs. He finds real beauty in the women though, more than just a superficial beauty. He points out some thing of beauty in almost every woman he describes.

"One fine Spring day we were sitting in English class and Miss Gredis was sitting on the front desk facing us. She had her skirt pulled especially high, it was terrifying, beautiful, wondrous and dirty."

Chinaski becomes...attached...to alcohol at a very early age when his friend Baldy takes him into his father's wine cellar and they drink together. Through the way Chinaski speaks you can tell that drink would soon become a normal occurrence. As time goes on, he moves from being attached to dependent. He loves alcohol. He drinks whiskey, cheap wine, or whatever is free. He would rather drink than do anything else, especially anything that involves other people. As the book progresses, there are few to no times that Chinaski is not drinking when alcohol is available.

""Every time I see you you have a drink in your hand. You call that protecting yourself?"

"It's the best way I know. Without drink I would have long ago cut my god-damned throat."

"That's bullshit."

"Nothing's bullshit that works. The Pershing Square preachers have their God. I have the blood of my god!"

I raised my glass and drained it.

"You're just hiding from reality," Becker said.

"Why not?"

"You'll never be a writer if you hide from reality."

"What are you talking about? That's what writers do!""