Gay Brewer has written one of the most readable and useful books in the Twayne series. Bukowski, a prolific writer, has often been beyond the reach of critics, either because of the literary world's shunning of him, or because there just doesn't seem to be much more to say about poems & short stories which speak for themselves. Brewer gives a plain-spoken and useful critique of Buk's work, one which both scholars and the casual reader of Bukowksi will find useful.

Brewer's book on Bukowski is top-notch literary criticism without any of the usual academic jargon. No pedantry either! Amazing. Academics should read it just to get an idea how to write. Bukowski fans should read it to realize how much more substantial Bukowski's work really is.