Pogue Mahone
Officials say drugs may have played a part
Has anyone compared The Laughing Heart in this book to the version in Betting on the Muse or the 1996 New Years Greeting?
Essential Bukowski: Poetry
- Thread starter cirerita
- Start date
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
They are identical.
PhillyDave
“The essential doesn't change.” Beckett
I just got my copy during lunch today. The corner was dinged a tiny bit as if the person taking it out of a box dropped it. Otherwise, in great condition. Thank you Abel.
I hope you didn't receive a 2nd hand one, PhillyDave?
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
What do you call the form of binding they´ve used on the "Essential Bukowski" hardcover version?
It's not your usual hardcover binding because here the pages are attached to the spine, which makes it impossible to leave the book open on a table. With a "normal" hardcover binding there's free space between the page block and the spine, but that's not the case with "Essential Bukowski".
It's not your usual hardcover binding because here the pages are attached to the spine, which makes it impossible to leave the book open on a table. With a "normal" hardcover binding there's free space between the page block and the spine, but that's not the case with "Essential Bukowski".
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Bukfan,
I Don't have the book but it sounds like a perfect bound hardcover. Not as nice as sewn. As a rule, most trade paperbacks are perfect bound and most hardcovers sewn? Have they stopped sewing trade hc books?
I Don't have the book but it sounds like a perfect bound hardcover. Not as nice as sewn. As a rule, most trade paperbacks are perfect bound and most hardcovers sewn? Have they stopped sewing trade hc books?
mjp
Founding member
It is sewn in signatures, it's just very tight.
You might be able to loosen it up:
I also miss one poem or the other. The Singular Self, for example. But what can you do - tastes are different.
Or as another forum member said:
PhillyDave
“The essential doesn't change.” Beckett
No. The store, Joseph Fox Books, is an excellent independent place for brand new books here in Center City. I don't usually buy brand new but when I do I try to make it over there. The lovely young lady behind the counter reported that it has been flying off the shelves so I explained to her why that might be, besides the fact that Buk is one of the, if not THE, best poets ever. Unedited, straight from the manuscripts and some of his best material. Helping make up for the Martinized period.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
All I know is that it's not your traditional hardcover where there's space between the paper block and the spine when you open it up and look down the inside of the spine. I have´nt seen a Bukowski hardcover book made like this before with the paper block glued to the spine making it impossible to leave the book open on a table same as with a softcover.
Thanks, mjp! I´ll try that.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
Hm. That picture explains so much about why my wife hates me...
My own review of Essential Bukowski can be read online here:
https://alexanderadamsart.wordpress.com/2016/11/19/book-review-essential-bukowski/
https://alexanderadamsart.wordpress.com/2016/11/19/book-review-essential-bukowski/
cirerita
Founding member
Great review, thanks a lot.
For some reason, the UK version has 92 poems and the US version that I put together, 95. For the UK edition, they discarded 3 poems and they didn't even tell me about it. The poems that were removed are "love poem to Marina", "cornered" and "do you want to enter the arena?" (aka "So you wanna be a writer?"). Un-fucking-believable.
What a goddamn screw!
These people don't deserve to be called publishers, they're con-men.
Yikes! Didn't realise that. I will add a note to the end of my review to that effect. I did think it was odd how Buk's love for Marina was covered in the recent compilation but not mentioned here. Notwithstanding, a really great collection, even if the American collection is even greater.
Actually, Abel, are you making "making America great again"? I think we should be told....
Actually, the omission is especially weird as the British edition has 8 blank pages at the end. Write your poems here, I guess? Doodling space? You have a chance to finish the book yourself in an interactive publishing venture. Nice.
Additionally, it seems at least "cornered" is listed in the bibliography at the end so I don't how 4th Estate managed that.
Additionally, it seems at least "cornered" is listed in the bibliography at the end so I don't how 4th Estate managed that.
They changed the number in the intro as well. The UK version says 92 poems are included. Not 95.
The papers are right. Europe is going south.
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
We always get short-changed. I'm going to ask for a refund.
PhillyDave
“The essential doesn't change.” Beckett
Those are excellent poems too (favorites). Grr.
cirerita
Founding member
I received my copy of the UK edition recently, and "cornered" is in there. The third poem that was actually left out was "if you want justice, take the knife".
Apparently, they didn't have time to secure permission for those 3 poems before book publication. I'm doing my best to have those 3 poems restored when/if there are future printings.
Will 'WWII' & 'Death of an Idiot' be included? Good poems all.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
That is what I thought. Maybe these poems are exclusive to Cannongate in the UK so they were not able to reprint them there? This is where a GPP-like group could letterpress print these three poems and slip them in the books on the DL as the kids used to say...
strange decission to prefer dropping 3 poems rather than waiting/ working a few weeks more to get the complete thing out there in public.
Love this book, well edited, older to newer. If you want to get a christmas gift for a newbie: this be the one!