Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Life and Death in the Charity Ward  By  cover art

Life and Death in the Charity Ward

By: Charles Bukowski
Narrated by: Will Patton
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $2.99

Buy for $2.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A short story from The Most Beautiful Woman in Town & Other Stories

"In 1955, at the age of 35, Bukowski was rushed to the charity ward of the Los Angeles County hospital, hemorrhaging at the bright red climax to a 10-year drinking bout. He was 'dying, hemorrhaging out of my mouth and ass continually...all that cheap wine and hard living coming through and out - fountains of blood.' Bukowski's experience in the cold-hearted, bureaucratic charity ward, the dumping ground for the Underground, would inexorably begin the alteration of his life's path, if indeed it can be said that he was following a well-charted path to begin with." (Pop Matters)

Upon his survival and recovery, Bukowski began a writing career that would change American poetry and prose as we know it. This is the story of the moment when his life hung by a thread, but spun something else quite unexpected.

OBIE winner Will Patton (Remember the Titans, The Good Wife, Armageddon) recreates Bukowski in his visceral prime, along with every eye-popping character in his life, each adversary, lover, and stranger in a lost city.

©1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1983 Charles Bukowski (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Love Books? You'll Love Audible.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Transform your day

Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Listen everywhere

Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Carry your entire Library

Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Listen and learn

Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Reach your reading goals

You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.

Placeholder Image Alt Text

Find your niche

WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Try for $0.00 $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

What listeners say about Life and Death in the Charity Ward

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The fucked-up-ness of low class existence

The character had a hemorrhoid surgery and is vomiting and shitting out blood. Even though he is in a fucked up condition like that, he doesn't take a break from being a dick to the heartless nurses.

The performance is awesome. The reader can really impersonate the various characters in the book present

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful