Charles Bukowski

Whether I was a genius or not did not so much concern me as the fact that I simply did not want a part of anything. The animal-drive and energy of my fellow man amazed me: that a man could change tires all day long or drive an ice cream truck or run for Congress or cut into a man's guts in surgery or murder, this was all beyond me. I did not want to begin. I still don't. Any day I that I could cheat away from this system of living seemed a good victory for me.

Read quote

there are so many dayswhen living stops and pulls up and sitsand waits like a train on the rails.

Read quote

I feel no grief for being called somethingwhichI am not;in fact, it's enthralling, somehow, like a goodback rub

Read quote

she wasn't veryinterestingbut few peopleare.

Read quote

the world is better withoutthem.only the plants and the animals aretrue comrades.I drink to them and withthem.

Read quote

we are burning like a chicken wing left on the grill of an outdoor barbecuewe are unwanted and burning we are burning and unwanted we arean unwantedburningas we sizzle and fryto the bonethe coals of Dante's 'Inferno' spit and sputter beneathus andabove the sky is an open hand andthe words of wise men are uselessit's not a nice world, a nice world it's not ...

Read quote

it is so dark now with the sadness ofpeoplethey were tricked, they were taught to expect theultimate when nothing ispromisednow young girls weep alone in small roomsold men angrily swing their canes atvisions asladies comb their hair asants search for survivalhistory surrounds usand our livesslink awayinshame.

Read quote

it does seemthe more we drinkthe better the wordsgo.

Read quote

the price of creationis nevertoo high.the price of livingwith other peoplealwaysis.

Read quote

The old gal was only another lonely creature in a world that didn't care

Read quote

I guess I´m too used to sitting in a small room and making words do a few things. I see enough of humanity at the racetracks, the supermarkets, gas stations, freeways, cafes, etc. This can´t be helped. But I feel like kicking myself in the ass when I go to gatherings, even if the drinks are free. It never works for me. I´ve got enough clay to play with. People empty me. I have to get away to refill. I´m what´s best for me, sitting here slouched, smoking a beedie and watching this creen flash the words. Seldom do you meet a rare or interesting person. It´s more than galling, it´s a fucking constant shock. It´s making a god-damned grouch out of me. Anybody can be a god-damned grouch and most are. Help!

Read quote

I write fictionWhat's fiction?Fiction is an improvement on life.

Read quote

I liked to fuck too, but it wasn't my religion. There were too many ridiculous and tragic things about it. People didn't seem to know how to handle it. So they made a toy out of it. A toy that destroyed people.

Read quote

She would have been a better fuck in Greece, maybe. America was a shitty place to fuck.

Read quote

You bitch, I whispered, I love you. Then I came.

Read quote

The ass is the face of the soul of sex.

Read quote

for a man of 55 who didn't get laid until he was 23 and not very often until he was 50 I think that I should stay listed via Pacific Telephone until I get as much as the average man has had

Read quote

I have, he went on, betrayed myself withbelief, deluded myself with lovetricked myself with sex.the bottle is damned faithful, he said,the bottle will not lie

Read quote

Walking out with the people, I didn't know which was more exciting, the air race, the parachute jump that failed, or the cunt.

Read quote

It's all overrated, man. Sex is only a great thing if you're not getting any.

Read quote

Quotes by Charles Bukowski