Women (novel)

"Women" is a 1978 novel written by Charles Bukowski, starring his semi-autobiographical character Henry Chinaski. In contrast to "Factotum", "Post Office" and "Ham on Rye", "Women" is centered around Chinaski's later life, as a celebrated poet and writer, not as a dead-end lowlife. It does, however, feature the same constant carousel of women with whom Chinaski only finds temporary fulfillment. In the book, Chinaski's nickname is Hank, which was one of Bukowski's nicknames.

At times, "Women" had the tendency to become chauvinistic, or so it seemed to an easily offended reader. But in all reality, "Women" focuses on the many dissatisfactions Chinaski faced with each new woman he encountered. Aside from Chinaski's discontent, Bukowski added a certain comedic flair to his novel that opens the eyes of modern women to the way a man sees the world.

One of the women featured in the book is named Lydia Vance; she is Bukowski's portrait of his one-time girlfriend, the sculptress and sometime poet Linda King.

Another woman described in the book is "Tanya", described as a 'tiny girl-child' and pen-pal that evolved into a week-end tryst at Bukowski's DeLongpre residence in L.A. in the 1970s. Tanya wrote a book about the affair entitled "Blowing My Hero" under the pseudonym Amber O'Neil. Book was suppressed due to the inclusions of several love-letters written by Bukowski. A graceful and intelligent work, it contradicted Bukowski's version of events, and in later years Amber O'Neil has further clarified and elaborated on her relationship with Bukowski.

Bukowski himself drew the picture of the girl on the cover of the book.

This novel is also the basis for the character of Hank Moody in the series Californication.