The Continual Condition

The Continual Condition – Charles Bukowski

I’m going to add poetry to the short (and apparently growing) list of writing that I don’t know how to review so I’m not even going to try. So I’ll keep this short. In this collection of poems, Bukowski writes with a cynical realism, reflecting on his excesses with gambling, drinking, and sex. He seems to have a distaste for life, but finds satisfaction among the problems, hardships, and frustrations. Less appealing than the world, though, are the people that inhabit it. Whatever his interactions indicate, his thoughts reveal an impatient apathy for how other people try to participate in his life. Again, he offers this up for reflection and scrutiny, accepting it for what it is without passing judgment, dwelling, or disregarding the unfavorable aspects. Take that with a grain of salt, though. The bigger reason why I don’t know how to review poetry is because I’m not quite sure how to read poetry. Bukowski certainly has some gems throughout the collection, and certain pieces made me stop and think twice (or three or four times), but I often found myself asking “what was the point?” The good thing about his poetry is that it comes in bite-sized pieces, so the length, if not always the content, is accessible.