Is Pulp Fiction Based On Pulp By Bukowski

[Pang Murdock]

Pulpis the last completed novel by Los Angeles poet and writer Charles Bukowski. It was published in 1994, shortly before Bukowski's death. He began writing it in 1991 and encountered several problems during its creation. He fell ill during the spring of 1993, only three-quarters of the way through Pulp.[1]

Pulp is a pulp fiction novel which acts also as a meta-pulp. Pulp comments on the obsessions of the pulp fiction genre, making fun of itself as stereotypical of the genre in the grimiest form. Bukowski dedicates the story to "bad writing", as Bukowski did not plan his mystery novel well and frequently wrote Nicky Belane into holes from which he could not escape.[2] Bukowski wrote some of his most violent, cynical, sarcastic, and shocking work during the final months of his life. Many critics have agreed this novel exemplifies Bukowski showing an acceptance of his own pending mortality.

A convoluted detective story about a hard-boiled private eye who solves his cases by waiting them out, Pulp evokes Raymond Chandler, an author who lived in Los Angeles and set stories there, as did Bukowski. The novel also bears similarity to some works by Dashiell Hammett; and the name of character Nicky Belane rhymes suggestively with the name of author Mickey Spillane as well as Casablanca's main character Rick Blaine.

Unlike other Bukowski novels, the narrator is not Henry Chinaski (although he does appear); instead, the novel follows private detective Nicky Belane as he attempts to track down French author Cline and the elusive Red Sparrow. Belane is a low-life private "dick" (or private investigator), who, like Bukowski, is unemployed more often than not. Also, like the author, Belane has a cynical attitude toward the world which is exacerbated by his excessive drinking.[3]

Louis-Ferdinand Cline always hangs around a book store, where he reads a few pages, and gets kicked out by the owner for not buying anything. The true identity of Celine remains a mystery throughout much of the novel, with Belane constantly saying that Celine died years ago from the first chapter of the book.

In author George Stade's New York Times review of Pulp, he remarked, "As parody, Pulp does not cut very deep. As a farewell to readers, as a gesture of rapprochement with death, as Bukowski's sendup and send-off of himself, this bio-parable cuts as deep as you would want."[6]

Scottish band The Fratellis have a couple of references to the book in their 2013 record "We Need Medicine", including a song called "Jeannie Nitro" and references to "Celine and Lady Death" in the song "Whisky Saga".

Pulp (1994), published shortly before his death, is the last novel by underground writer Charles Bukowski. The novel follows a cheap private detective who ambles through life with no urgency whatsoever. It's simultaneously an homage to and spoof of the pulp fiction genre and cheap serialized novels that reached prominence in the 1950s.

Charles Bukowski was born on August 16, 1920. The Great Depression was the backdrop of his teenage years, providing the ever-present destitution and desperation in his works. When Bukowski was a teenager, a close friend introduced him to alcohol. Drinking and alcoholism would become recurring themes in his work, and Bukowski repeatedly used alcohol to make his life more bearable.

In adulthood, Bukowski spent his free time writing, gambling, drinking, and with a revolving door of lovers. His lifestyle features prominently in all his written works, but especially in the main character of Nicky Belane in Pulp.

Pulp would be the first book that did not feature Bukowski's literary alter ego, Henry Chinaski, as the main protagonist, although he has a cameo. Instead, Bukowski drew on other individuals he knew throughout his life to populate the novel. His publisher and mentor, John Martin, for example, has a character based on him named John Barton.

Bukowski knew he was nearing the end of his life when he was writing Pulp. He was grappling with his own fading health, old age, and mortality. While written as a parody of a genre, Pulp is also an homage to all the comics he grew up reading. Bukowski was encouraged to write and finish Pulp by his good friend and mentor, John Martin.

Charles Bukowski and John Martin had a unique relationship. Martin encouraged and supported Charles Bukowski to write after they met in 1966. To finance the start-up for Black Sparrow Press, Martin sold his rare D.H. Lawrence book collection. Black Sparrow Press grew to become the foremost independent publisher of poetry and fiction and published almost all of Bukowski's following work. He was able to make a living from the proceeds and work as a full-time writer for the rest of his life. Bukowski owed much of his success to Martin's unwavering support, and he acknowledged this in Pulp.

Nicky Belane considers himself the best detective in East Hollywood. However, he's self-sabotaging and destructive and is addicted to alcohol and gambling. Nicky is broke, so naturally, when he receives cases, he takes them. He gets a call from Lady Death. She wants him to find Celine, a famous French writer.

In between bouts of gambling and drinking, he receives another call. This time it is from John Barton. He requests that Nicky find the Red Sparrow. Nicky doesn't understand who or what the Red Sparrow is. Barton doesn't explain but insists Nicky's the right man for the job.

Nicky has altercations with his landlord, his neighbor who works as a postman, and hoodlums. He receives another call. Jack Bass believes his wife Cindy is having an affair and wants Nicky to follow her. Events continue to become more surreal. The strange Mr. Groves wants Nicky to probe further into the possibility that his girlfriend is an alien.

Nicky stakes out Cindy Bass's apartment. He believes she is with another lover. He bursts into the apartment, only to realize that she is there with her husband. Irate, Jack Bass reaches for his revolver and fires at Nicky. He runs out of the building and finds his car. As Nicky drives away, Bass continues to unload his pistol at him.

Nicky discovers Cindy is sleeping with Billy French from the mortuary. Once Nicky is discovered by Billy, Nicky tries to shoot him, only to learn he's an alien. Fortunately, Jeannie Nitro intervenes and saves Nicky's life.

Pulp is simultaneously a homage to and a parody of the pulp fiction novels Bukowski grew up reading. Many of his favorite authors wrote pulp. Detective Story Magazine and The Shadow Magazine, both publications featuring hard-boiled detectives, are good examples of what Bukowski spent his time reading as a kid.1

Pulp refers to the type of paper used for these serialized novels and works. It was a cheaper grade of paper, thus allowing for cheaper production and, ultimately, more affordable prices for the consumer. The sensationalized stories of pulp fiction have now entered popular media as a genre and aesthetic. Bukowski enjoyed this literature but also was well aware of its shortcomings. He could easily create it and, at the same time, make fun of it.

Pulp fiction is generally associated with low-brow humor, deviant behavior, and taboo subjects. In Pulp, Nicky spends much of his time investigating secret affairs and spying on couples having sex. In between cases, he drinks and gambles. Leads that Nicky follows usually end in a brawl or gunfight.

When he began writing Pulp, Bukowski knew he was going to die soon. He was ill and not getting better, and he wanted to pay respect to the literature he grew up reading. Pulp also reflected Bukowski's inner dialogue with his own mortality. In Pulp, Nicky constantly confronts death while doing his job. Virtually every case he takes ends up endangering his life. Yet, Nicky is content to spend time in between cases drinking and gambling. Nicky, like Bukowski, felt comfortable with a life of drinking and gambling, even though the lifestyle negatively affected their health and brought them closer to death.

Addiction features prominently throughout Pulp and Charles Bukowski's work in general. He was a frequent drinker and ended up in the hospital with a stomach ulcer. This prompted him to quit drinking heavily but not drinking altogether. The main character of Pulp, Nicky Belane, spends his time drinking while on the job and during his leisure time.

Despite his procrastination and lack of ambition, things mostly work out for Nicky. This alludes very much to Bukowski's life. Jobs were a means to an end for Bukowski, and he had no aspirations beyond writing for a living. He continued to write while working menial jobs.

Nicky does very much the same. He takes on jobs when they fall into his lap. Yet, he has no sense of urgency, and often the cases solve themselves with little help from Nicky. Like the cases that Nicky receives, Bukowski received encouragement from his publisher John Martin that kept him writing. Bukowski only felt motivated to write (just like Nicky only felt motivated to solve cases) if assignments were given to him. and John Martin wanted Bukowski to write one last novel. Bukowski never thought he was particularly good at writing, but he enjoyed doing it.

Events of Pulp are haphazard and without prompt. Cases fall into the lap of Nicky. Some events have no basis in reality. As the story progresses, it becomes more surreal and eventually completely absurd. This reflects Bukowski's attitude toward life. It's random and futile to attempt to understand what happens to someone.

Bukowski had troubled relationships with women. He felt that many of his lovers were bad for him. Yet, he couldn't help but feel attracted to them and desire their company. Lady Death is simultaneously beautiful and repulsive, representing the many relationships of Bukowski.

For Bukowski, Black Sparrow Press was a lifeline. It was also the bane of his professional writing career. Throughout the novel, Nicky is plagued by thoughts of what the Red Sparrow is and what it could be. It's an enigmatic entity that he cannot fathom or imagine. Bukowski didn't dwell on whether he deserved to be successful or not. Often he just accepted life as it had been given to him. However, he couldn't ignore the strange happenings around him and would often ponder them.

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