Charles Bukowski

I'd strongly recommend to WAIT with 'Ham On Rye' till you're a little more into Bukowski!

For several reasons:
- 'Ham' is one of his best works and sure one of the greatest novels in all literature. So, in order to have a climax, you should wait a little. (Which does Not mean, you need to read Everything else first. Just a few more.)
- it tells you a lot about HOW he became, who he became and WHY. Reading it first (or too soon) will kill this A-ha!-effect for you.
- The effect of 'Ham On Rye' is best, if you know some more prose before. Esp. the short-stories, since they are very unequal in quality due to the fact, that many of them were written just for money. But having read some of these 'image-making-up'-stories first and then going about 'Ham' is - ENLIGHTENING! You'll be able to read all the stories again - and see them in another light.