1,615 Quotes by Charles Bukowski

a life can change in a tenth ofa second.or sometimes it can take70years.

I'm one of those who doesn't think there is much differencebetween an atomic scientist and a man who cleans the crappersexcept for the luck of the draw - parents with enough money to point you toward a moregenerous death.of course, some come through brilliantly, butthere are thousands, millions of others, bottled up, keptfrom even the most minute chance to realize their potential.

People are strange: They are constantly angered by trivial things, but on a major matter like totally wasting their lives, they hardly seem to notice.

and our few good times will be rare because we have the critical senseand are not easy to fool with laughter

I often stood in front of the mirror alone, wondering how ugly a person could get.

alone with everybodythe flesh covers the boneand they put a mindin there andsometimes a soul,and the women breakvases against the wallsand them men drink toomuchand nobody finds theonebut they keeplookingcrawling in and outof beds.flesh coversthe bone and theflesh searchesfor more thanflesh.there's no chanceat all:we are all trappedby a singularfate.nobody ever findsthe one.the city dumps fillthe junkyards fillthe madhouses fillthe hospitals fillthe graveyards fillnothing elsefills.

the worst thing," he told me,"is bitterness, people end up sobitter.

What is your advice to young writers?” “Drink, fuck and smoke plenty of cigarettes.

The good times were over. Nobody gave a shit and nobody had any money and if they had any, they kept it.