Charles Bukowski’s "Women," Summary

The plot centers on aging poet Henry Chinaski, who, after years of seclusion and dismissal from the postal service, suddenly plunges into a never-ending series of tempestuous love affairs with women of varying ages and incomes. The book is part of a series of autobiographical novels about the writer’s alter ego, which also includes "Post Office," "Factotum," "Ham on Rye," and "Hollywood." The novel was published in 1978.

Lydia Vance and the Beginning of Love Affairs

Henry Chinaski had turned fifty. He’d spent four years without a woman. Days passed at his typewriter, listening to classical music and drinking endless cans of beer. At his first public poetry reading at a bookstore, the poet met sculptor Lydia Vance. She burst into Chinaski’s cluttered apartment, danced on a table, and offered to sculpt his portrait in clay. A devastating relationship blossomed between them.

The relationship with Lydia resembled a constant war. Outbursts of jealousy gave way to furious arguments. The clay head of the writer, sculpted by his friend, became a symbol of their endless quarrels, traveling on the front seat of an old car from one house to another after every drunken brawl or fit of jealousy. Chinaski was jealous of his companion’s attentions toward young dancers and casual drinking companions. In fits of rage, Lydia would shower the poet with curses, pound the hood of his car with her fists, and tear his shirts.

During breakups, Henry sought solace elsewhere. Music director Dee Dee Bronson installed him in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills, plied him with wine, and took him to the island of Catalonia. Lydia’s return forced Chinaski to immediately dump Dee Dee, who nearly committed suicide with a sleeping pill overdose. Soon, the writer became infatuated with the well-read Nicole. Upon learning of his infidelity, Lydia ambushed her lover at her rival’s door, smashed bottles of alcohol on the sidewalk, and nearly ran Henry over with her car.

A trip to the Vance sisters’ ranch in Utah took a turn for the absurd. Henry went for a hike in the mountains and got lost near a dam. An attempt to open the reservoir’s valves resulted in a flood, and Lydia, in her curlers, had to rescue a hapless city dweller from barbed wire.

Laura, Texas Trips and Joanna Dover

Chinaski began regularly traveling to other cities for paid poetry readings. In Houston, he met Laura Stanley, who struck him with her natural beauty and long reddish-brown hair. The poet nicknamed her "Catherine" for her resemblance to the famous movie star. Laura flew to Los Angeles to visit Henry, cleaned his unkempt kitchen, and introduced him to healthy eating. For the first time, Chinaski began to consider a permanent relationship.

The idyll was shattered by a sudden betrayal. While Laura was away, wealthy gallery owner Joanna Dover dropped by the apartment. The six-foot-tall guest bought a couple of Henry’s paintings, shared a beer with him, and then dragged him into the bedroom. Laura learned of the incident over the phone and forgave the writer, but their former trust melted away. While attending a boxing match, Chinaski’s car was stolen, and at the races, her friend was frightened by a crowd of dissolute gamblers.

A trip to Galveston to visit Joanna brought a new experience. The hostess generously treated the guest to mescaline and seafood. Under the influence of hallucinogens, the poet began furiously sketching wild animals on paper, frightened by the shadows in the spacious rooms. Five days of continuous drinking exhausted the writer’s physical strength, and he hurried back to his hometown.

Fiery Tammy and the Madness in New York

Tammy was waiting for the writer in Los Angeles. A young woman with lush red hair, she abused psychotropic substances and lived in an outbuilding with her young daughter. Henry rented her the apartment next door in his courtyard. Their life had become a madhouse, with visits from suspicious individuals and nightly screams.

Upon learning of his new mistress, Lydia went completely mad. The woman broke into the poet’s house, threw out his belongings, and smashed an old typewriter on the pavement. The police apprehended the fugitive, but Chinaski refused to press charges for the sake of her young children. Lydia left for Phoenix forever.

Chinaski took Tammy to a poetry reading in New York. On the plane, she spent hours applying makeup, and before landing, she fell into a deep, drug-induced sleep. Checked into the Chelsea Hotel, Henry gave a triumphant performance at St. Mark’s Church, drinking beer right in front of the microphone. Upon returning to California, Tammy received an eviction notice. While moving her belongings, a drunken Chinaski pushed a wicker chair into the car, smashing a leg through the windshield. The next morning, the enraged poet tore apart the trapped furniture with his bare hands in front of passersby.

Chinaski briefly dated a blonde named Mercedes. She loved to smoke weed, complained about his endless abortions, and demanded he give up traditional sex. The painful experience left the writer with only a sharp pain in his side.

Tragedy in Illinois and a kaleidoscope of random connections

Henry’s next performance brought him to the University of Illinois campus. His host was an old pen pal, William Keesing, a former Marine and drug addict. Bill was seriously ill, dependent on painkillers, and going through a difficult divorce. The friends drank whiskey to the sound of an approaching tornado. A week and a half after Chinaski’s departure, Keesing died in the hospital.

Bill’s widow, Cecilia, came to visit Henry in California. She preached vegetarianism and marveled at the birds and stars in the night sky. An attempt to find solitude in a cottage by the ocean failed. Cecilia rejected her host’s persistent advances, preferring nighttime walks on the beach.

The stream of admirers continued. Ballet teacher Lisa Weston arrived from San Francisco, dressed in elegant long dresses. Chinaski stayed in her spacious studio, mastering the waterbed and listening to Mozart. After a month, the affair had become tiresome for both of them. Next came German tourists Hilda and Gertrude, who had read the author’s books in their home country. The guests drank vodka on the rocks and sunbathed on the porch, embarrassing the postman.

At the Ulan Club on Hollywood Boulevard, the writer met three women. A young recording studio employee, Cassie, captivated him with her voluptuous body, while court stenographer Debra attracted him with her 1930s attire. Henry spent his nights at Debra’s, and during the day, he managed to seduce her colleague Tessie right in their bedroom before the delivery of an antique marble table.

Sarah and the End of the Search

Among a string of fleeting affairs, Sarah, the owner of a vegetarian establishment, stood out. She was a devotee of the Indian spiritual teacher Dreyer Baba and observed strict celibacy before marriage. Henry spent hours drinking white wine in her kitchen, enjoying intelligent conversation. On the eve of the holidays, Sarah brought wooden planks and handcrafted a sturdy bed for Chinaski to replace his sagging mattress.

Old habits were dragging him back. For Thanksgiving, Canadian waitress Iris Duarte flew in from Vancouver. She delighted Henry with oriental dancing and passionate embraces in new high heels. The poet’s remorse over his abandoned Debra brought tears to his eyes in his empty bedroom.

Twenty-two-year-old Tanya showed up from Berkeley next, sending revealing photos. The ninety-pound woman demanded rough sex right on the living room carpet. A trip to the Santa Anita racetrack ended in a loss and pointless crowd-gazing.

After Tanya’s departure, the writer felt a sense of emptiness. The endless change of faces lost all appeal. Henry called Sarah and firmly asked her to come over, deciding to abandon the destructive frenzy. The poet decisively ended another call from a young fan, Rochelle, by hanging up.

Henry Chinaski took his vitamins, went out onto the porch, and let a large stray cat into the house. The poet opened a can of white tuna for his new four-legged companion.