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Charles Bukowski citations
Page 18

Henry Charles Bukowski /ˈhɛnɹi t͡ʃɑɹlz bəˈkaʊski/, né Heinrich Karl Bukowski /ˈhaɪnʁɪç kaːɐ̯l buˈkɔfskʲi/ le 16 août 1920 à Andernach en Allemagne et mort le 9 mars 1994 à Los Angeles aux États-Unis, est un écrivain américain d'origine allemande, auteur de romans, de nouvelles et de poésie. Il est connu sous ses pseudonymes divers : Hank, Buk, Henry Chinaski, ce dernier étant celui de son alter ego dans ses nombreux romans autobiographiques. Il est l'auteur, en prose comme en vers, d'une œuvre poétique considérable. Wikipedia  

✵ 16. août 1920 – 9. mars 1994  •  Autres noms Henry Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski photo
Charles Bukowski: 574 citations1 J'aime

Charles Bukowski citations célèbres

Cette traduction est en attente de révision. Est-ce correct?

“On commence à sauver le monde en sauvant un homme à la fois ; tout le reste, c'est du romantisme grandiose ou de la politique.”

Charles Bukowski

Cette traduction est en attente de révision. Est-ce correct?

“Certaines personnes ne deviennent jamais fous. Quelle vie vraiment horrible ils doivent mener.”

Charles Bukowski

Cette traduction est en attente de révision. Est-ce correct?

“Quelle période de lassitude ont été ces années : avoir le désir et le besoin de vivre sans en avoir la capacité.”

Charles Bukowski

“l'hôpital, c'est le lieu où l'on s'efforce de vous tuer sans vous dire pourquoi. la cruauté glaciale et rationnelle de l'Hôpital américain ne s'explique pas que par un corps médical débordé, qui se serait habitué à la mort, au point de la trouver banale. mais surtout parce que les médecins, bien que TROP PAYES POUR N'EN BRANLER PAS UNE, sont adulés par les ignorants, à l'égal des sorciers avec leurs potions magiques, alors que, la plupart du temps, ils confondent les poils de leur cul avec du céleri rémoulade.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“Balanos était doué — les bras de cet enculé étaient quasiment reptiliens, mais surtout il ne bougeait pas d'un pouce —, il savait s'effacer, s'esquiver, et il ne s'exposait pas davantage qu'une araignée maléfique. pour autant, chacun de ses coups portait et faisait mal. pour le battre, il aurait fallu un très grand champion. aussi Watson aurait-il mieux fait de reprendre son petit agneau et de rentrer chez lui.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

Charles Bukowski Citations

“Le docteur me fait chier. D'habitude, je m'assois, je me fais mon petit diagnostic, je me file un traitement et je vais voir l'infirmière. Le toubib, lui, me fait braire. Il adore prendre la pose et me raconter son passage dans l'armée nazie. Il a été capturé par les Français et les Français les ont mis dans les villes les gens leur jetaient au passage de l'essence, des bombes puantes et des vieux gants pleins d'insecticide, à eux les pauvres innocents, et j'en ai sacrément ma claque de ses histoires…”

Charles Bukowski livre Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire

Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire, 1967, Quartier des agités à l'est d'Hollywood

“à l'instar des commissions sur la pauvreté qui nous ont appris que des êtres humains mourraient de faim tout en bas de l'échelle sociale, viendront ensuite les commissions psychiatriques qui nous révèleront que d'autres êtres humains peuvent mourir tout en haut de cette même échelle; moyennant quoi, on pratiquera l'amnésie collective jusqu'à ce qu'on soit de nouveau secoués par un autre petit meurtre ou par l'incendie d'une ville; et alors, ils se rassembleront une fois de plus pour chier ces rapports qu'on attend d'ailleurs qu'ils nous chient, puis ils s'en laveront les mains et disparaîtront comme les étrons lorsqu'on tire la chasse d'eau. aussi longtemps que personne ne protestera, ils ne changeront pas de méthode.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“Et puis tu regardes la vieille peau : sans dents, sans yeux, sans cervelle, sans âme, sans cul, sans bouche, sans couleur, sans nerfs, sans rien, rien qu'un bâton, et tu te demandes ce que son thé, ses biscuits, son église et son petit pavillon ont fait pour ELLE. Et les vieux se mettent parfois dans une colère noire contre les jeunes : « Bon sang, j'ai travaillé dur toute ma vie! » (Ils prennent le travail pour une vertu, mais ça prouve seulement qu'un type est taré).”

Charles Bukowski livre Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire

Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire, 1967, La grande défonce

“La Constitution n'a jamais été conçue pour protéger les dégénérés.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“Tout allait de travers. Les gens s’accrochaient aveuglément à la première bouée de sauvetage venue : le communisme, la diététique, le zen, le surf, la danse classique, l’hypnotisme, la dynamique de groupe, les orgies, le vélo, l’herbe, le catholicisme, les haltères, les voyages, le retrait intérieur, la cuisine végétarienne, l’Inde, la peinture, l’écriture, la sculpture, la musique, la profession de chef d’orchestre, les balades sac à dos, le yoga, la copulation, le jeu, l’alcool, zoner, les yaourts surgelés, Beethoven, Bach, Bouddha, le Christ, le H, le jus de carotte, le suicide, les costumes sur mesure, les voyages en avion, New York City, et soudain, tout se cassait la gueule, tout partait en fumée. Il fallait bien que les gens trouvent quelque chose à faire en attendant de mourir. Pour ma part, je trouvais plutôt sympa qu’on ait le choix.”

Charles Bukowski livre Women

en
Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting, backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Back, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.
Women, 1978

“La peste fréquente votre lieu de travail, quel qu'il soit. Je suis la proie des pestes. J'ai travaillé dans une boîte où il y avait un type qui ne parlait à personne depuis quinze ans. Le lendemain de mon arrivée, il m'a parlé pendant trente-cinq minutes. Il était complètement cinglé.”

Charles Bukowski livre Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire

Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire, 1967, Notes sur la peste

“j'aime mieux qu'on me raconte la vie d'un clochard américain que celle d'un dieu grec mort.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“la seule chose qui pourrait nous sauver serait d'inventer un nouveau concept, celui d'une Universelle et Vibratoire Education, qui engloberait de façon constructive le goût du bonheur, le sens de la réalité et la nécessité du changement, mais qui ne profiterait qu'à nos petits-enfants, à condition qu'ils n'aient pas été, dans l'intervalle, assassinés. mais ils le seront. je vous le parie à 25 contre 1, car nul concept nouveau ne saurait être toléré, vu qu'il signifierait la liquidation du gang au pouvoir.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“quand les hommes contrôleront les gouvernements, ils n'auront plus besoin d'être gouvernés, mais, jusque-là, ils l'auront dans l'os.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“Quand je suis arrivé à la Nouvelle-Orléans, j'ai fait gaffe de ne pas m'installer dans un bordel, bien que toute la ville me parût en être un.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

“Il est seulement jaloux. Il s'est fait enculer, on lui a piqué ses plus belles années. il meurt d'envie de baiser. S'il tient jusqu'au bout. Mais il peut plus. Donc, maintenant, il veut que les jeunes souffrent comme il a souffert.”

Charles Bukowski livre Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire

Nouveaux contes de la folie ordinaire, 1967, La grande défonce

“« Relève-toi, Amérique », crie le peuple, mais on ne l'entend pas. Montre les dents. Rends coup pour coup. Que le lion montre ses dents, et les chacals s'enfuiront.”

Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse, 1969

Cette traduction est en attente de révision. Est-ce correct?

“Les nouvelles circulent rapidement dans des endroits où il ne se passe jamais grand-chose.”

Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski: Citations en anglais

“I was still proud of that moment
back then
when Jed handed me
that pint
and
I drained
a third of it
with all the disciples
watching.
damn, there was no way
it seemed
we could ever
lose
but we did.

and it took me
3 or 4 decades to
move on just a
little.
and Jed,
if you are still here
tonight,
(I forgot to tell you
then)
here's a thanks
for that drink.”

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Charles Bukowski

"two toughs"
The Last Night of the Earth Poems (1992)

“I think that everything should be made available to everybody, and I mean LSD, cocaine, codeine, grass, opium, the works. Nothing on earth available to any man should be confiscated and made unlawful by other men in more seemingly powerful and advantageous positions. More often than not Democratic Law works to the advantage of the few even though the many have voted; this, of course, is because the few have told them how to vote. I grow tired of 18th century moralities in a 20th century space-atomic age. If I want to kill myself I feel that should be my business. If I go out and hold up gas stations at night to pay for my supply it is because the law inflates a very cheap thing into an escalated war against my nerves and my soul.”

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Charles Bukowski

"This Floundering Old Bastard is the Best Damn Poet in Town", interview by John Thomas, in LA Free Press (1967)
Interviews

“Money is like sex. It seems much more important when you don't have any…”

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Charles Bukowski livre Hollywood

Hollywood (1989)

“Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting, backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Bach, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Women

Women (1978)

“It was the poor part of town—small houses and courts with mailboxes full of spiders, mailboxes hanging by one nail, old women inside rolling cigarettes and chewing tobacco and humming to their canaries and watching you, an idiot lost in the rain.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“I thought about taking a shower but I could see the headlines: MAILMAN CAUGHT DRINKING THE BLOOD OF GOD AND TAKING A SHOWER, NAKED, IN A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. …I found out later that mail for the church was delivered to the parish house around the corner. But now, of course, I knew where to… shower when I'm down and out.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“I had first learned that I was an idiot in the school yard. I was taunted and poked at and jeered, as were the other one or two idiots. My only advantage over the other one or two, two idiots. My only advantage over the other one or two, who were beaten and chasen, was that I was sullen. When surrounded I was not terrified. They never attacked me but would finally turn on one of the others and beat them as I watched.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Factotum

Source: Factotum (1975), Ch. 52

“I'm no preacher but I can tell you this-the lives that people lead are driving them crazy and their insanity comes out in the way they drive.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Factotum

Source: Factotum (1975), Ch. 72, Janeway Smithson

“Man was born to die. What did it mean? Hanging around and waiting. Waiting for the ‘A train.’ Waiting for a pair of big breasts on some August night in a Vegas hotel room. Waiting for the mouse to sing. Waiting for the snake to grow wings. Hanging around.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Pulp

Pulp (1994)

“WHAT'S WRONG WITH ASSHOLES, BABY? YOU'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE, I'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE! YOU GO TO THE STORE AND BUY A PORTERHOUSE STEAK, THAT HAD AN ASSHOLE! ASSHOLES COVER THE EARTH! IN A WAY TREES HAVE ASSHOLES BUT YOU CAN'T FIND THEM, THEY JUST DROP THEIR LEAVES. YOUR ASSHOLE, MY ASSHOLE, THE WORLD IS FULL OF BILLIONS OF ASSHOLES. THE PRESIDENT HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE CARWASH BOY HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE JUDGE AND THE MURDERER HAVE ASSHOLES... EVEN THE PURPLE STICKINPIN HAS AN ASSHOLE!”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“But I couldn't help thinking, god, all these mailmen do is drop in letters and get laid. This is the job for me, oh yes yes yes.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“… don't wait for the good woman. She doesn't exist. There are women who can make you feel more with their bodies and their souls but these are the exact women who will turn the knife into you right in front of the crowd. Of course, I expect this, but the knife still cuts. The female loves to play man against man, and if she is in a position to do it there is not one who will not resist. The male, for all his bravado and exploration, is the loyal one, the one who generally feels love. The female is skilled at betrayal. and torture and damnation. Never envy a man his lady. Behind it all lays a living hell.”

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Charles Bukowski

in a letter to Steven Richmond (Published in Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life by Howard Sounes)
Letters

“"Wouldn't you like to come in and have a cup of tea and dry off?"
"Lady, don't you realize that we don't even have time to pull up our shorts?"
"Pull up your shorts?"
"YES, PULL UP OUR SHORTS!" I screamed at her and walked off into the wall of water.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“"I've given you my time. It's all I've got to give - it's all any man has. And for a pitiful buck and a quarter an hour."… "my time so that you can live in your big house on the hill and have all the things that go with it. If anybody has lost anything on this deal, on this arrangement… I've been the loser.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Factotum

Source: Factotum (1975), Ch. 49, Henry Chinaski

“there were these people
on the ground,
they were reaching up their
arms and trying to pull me
down
but
they couldn't do
it.

I felt like pissing on
them.
they were so
jealous.
all they had to do was
to work their way
slowly up to it
as I had
done.

such people think
success grows on
trees.

you and I,
we know
better.”

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Charles Bukowski

"transport"
The Last Night of the Earth Poems (1992)

“Human relationships didn't work anyhow. Only the first two weeks had any zing, then the participants lost their interest. Masks dropped away and real people began to appear: cranks, imbeciles, the demented, the vengeful, sadists, killers. Modern society had created its own kind and they feasted on each other. It was a duel to the death--in a cesspool.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Women

Women (1978)

“I walk through rooms of the dead, streets of the dead, cities of the dead: men without eyes, men without voices; men with manufactured feelings and standard reactions; men with newspaper brains, television souls and high school ideals.”

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Charles Bukowski

in Sunlight Here I Am: Interviews and Encounters, 1963-1993 (2003), p. 24

“Van Gogh writing his brother for paints
Hemingway testing his shotgun
Celine going broke as a doctor of medicine
the impossibility of being human
Shakespeare a plagiarist
Beethoven with a horn stuck into his head against deafness
the impossibility the impossibility
Nietzsche gone totally mad
the impossibility of being human
all too human
this breathing
in and out
out and in
these punks
these cowards
these champions
these mad dogs of glory
moving this little bit of light toward us
impossibly.”

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Charles Bukowski

"Beasts Bounding Through Time" (1986)

“I found out that Hollywood is more crooked, dumber, crueler, stupider than all the books I've read about it. They didn't go deeply enough into how it lacks art, and soul, and heart— how it's really a piece of crap. There are too many hands directing, there're too many fingers in the pot, and they're all kind of ignorant about what they're doing. They're greedy, and they're vicious. So you don't get much of a movie.”

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Charles Bukowski

Interview included in the documentary Bukowski: Born Into This. Discussing the movie adaptation of Barfly and his novel Hollywood.
Interviews

“a woman can
drop
out of your
life and
forget you
real fast.
a woman
can't go anywhere
but UP
after
leaving you,
honey.”

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Charles Bukowski

"pulled down shade"
The Last Night of the Earth Poems (1992)

“The difference between a brave man and a coward is a coward thinks twice before jumping in the cage with a lion. The brave man doesn't know what a lion is. He just thinks he does.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Notes of a Dirty Old Man (1969)

“Janeway Smithson was a little, insane, grey-haired bantam rooster of a man. He loaded five or six of us in one cab, and we rolled down to the bed of the L. A. River. Now in those days the L. A. River was a fake - there was no water, just a wide, flat, dry cement runway. The bums lived down there by the hundreds in little cement alcoves under the bridges and overpasses. Some of them even had potted plants in front of their places. All they needed to live like kings was canned heat (Sterno) and what they picked out of the nearby garbage dump. They were tan and relaxed and most of them looked a hell of a lot healthier than the average Los Angeles business man. Those guys down there had no problems with women, income tax, landlords, burial expenses, dentists, time payments, car repairs, or with climbing into a voting booth and pulling the curtain closed.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Factotum

Source: Factotum (1975), Ch. 71

“I didn't even have a uniform, just a cap. I wore my regular clothes. The way my shackjob Betty and I drank there was hardly money for clothes.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Post Office

Post Office (1971)

“LSD, yeah, the big parade – everybody's doin' it now. Take LSD, then you are a poet, an intellectual. What a sick mob. I am building a machine gun in my closet now to take out as many of them as I can before they get me.”

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Charles Bukowski

in a letter to Steven Richmond (Published in Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life by Howard Sounes)
Letters

“You have a very strange face," she said. "You're not really ugly." "Number four shipping clerk, working his way up." "Have you ever been in love?" "Love is for real people." "You sound real." "I dislike real people." "You dislike them?" "I hate them." We drank some more, not saying much. It continued to snow. Gertrude turned her head and stared into the crowd of people. Then she looked at me. "Isn't he handsome?" "Who?" "That soldier over there. He's sitting alone. He sits so straight. And he's got all his medals on.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Factotum

"Come on, let's get out of here."
Source: Factotum (1975), Ch. 27

“If you want to know who your friends are, get yourself a jail sentence.”

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Charles Bukowski livre Journal d'un vieux dégueulasse

Notes of a Dirty Old Man (1969)

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