South of No North

By: Charles Bukowski

Narrated by: Christian Baskous

South of No North is a collection of short stories written by Charles Bukowski that explore loneliness and struggles on the fringes of society.

This book is awesome

There are millions of books for females telling their woes of family struggle and men mistreating them. This genre does not really exist for men. Then there is Bukowski who does nothing but tell it exactly as it is with women and trying to find a little scrap of humanity in a such an inhumane world. I like these stories because some of them cross the boundaries of the surreal. It is not like the other books that are for the most part autobiographical. I think this book made me laugh out loud much more than the other books by Bukowski. The wild west story, I thought was ridiculous at first. But any man who reads that story will say to himself at the end of it, "That's sure how it goes with women." Thank god this is audio! Make more.

What does this title even MEAN ?

I listened to the entire collection hoping to uncover the solution to that profound mystery. But the answer never xame.

Short Story Paradise

If you're not a Bukowski fan, South of No North won't convert you. However, if you are a fan, like me, this might be his best collection of work. This collection of 27 short stories features some real gems: "The Devil was Hot," "Love for $17.50," "A Couple of Winos," "Pittsburgh Phil and Company," and the shocking, "The Killers," to name a few of my favorites.
The usual sex and booze driven escapades starring Chinaski are there. What is unusual is the diversity of ages and viewpoints we get. There is something for everyone here. Many of the non-fiction stories are preludes to Bukowski's later novels: Ham on Rye, Factonium, and Women.
Christian Baskous is brilliant as usual narrarating. His cool, calm tone really suits Bukowski. The stories fly by quickly too. While Hot Water Music may be more well known, I think this is the best place to start if you're interested in Bukowski's short stories.

Bukowski is the best

He has a way with words that encapsulates the best and worst of times. Being a drunk ain’t so bad when he’s telling the stories.

Baskous brings it to life

His impressions of the characters bring to life the personalities I imagined Bukowski wanted for his characters; depraved, base, impulsive, and best of all, unashamed.