Bukowski's take on the bildungsroman, an anti-coming-of-age story and his finest novel. Lifelong misfit Henry Chinaski grows up downtrodden, stumbling through a world he has only ever known as hostile. Fights, failed romances and humiliations abound; Chinaski toughens up as he grows up, finding solace in books and in the bottle. Savagely funny and profoundly human, Ham on Rye is essential reading for anyone who has ever been ready to quit - and chosen to laugh, drink or fight back instead.