The Killers (Bukowski short story)
Encyclopedia
"The Killers" is a short-story by Charles Bukowski
collected in his 1973 collection South of No North
, originally published by John Martin
's Black Sparrow Press. The story elucidates Bukowski's publicly acknowledged artistic debt to Ernest Hemingway
, the writer who had the most influence on American writers of Bukowksi's generation. Like "The Killers
", Bukowski's story of the same name has as its thematic trope Murder in a nihilistic universe. Unlike Hemingway, the killers actually accomplish their act in the time-frame of the story.
Bukowski's authorial point-of-view in his version of "The Killers" also is influenced by Hemingway, as he it be seen as a logical outgrowth of the attitude expressed by Hemingway's fictional alter-ego Nick Adams
at the end of the 1927 "Killers":
Bukowski's fiction is full of attempts to escape the Los Angeles of his childhood and teen-years, all of which are doomed to failure as his fictional alter-ego, Henry Chinaski
, finds the same appalling corruption everywhere he travels. In Bukowski's "The Killers", there is no escape for the murderers who are the protagonists of the story, mirroring the doomed boxer Ole Andreson in Hemingway's original.
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
collected in his 1973 collection South of No North
South of No North (book)
South of No North is a collection of short stories by Charles Bukowski, the so-called "Poet Laureate of Skid Row", originally published in 1973 as South of No North: Stories of the Buried Life by John Martin's Black Sparrow Press...
, originally published by John Martin
John Martin (publisher)
John Martin was the founder of Black Sparrow Press. He was in the book business for 36 years, retiring in 2002. He is most noted for helping to launch the literary career of Charles Bukowski and re-publishing the catalog of John Fante. He sold 650 titles annually, with more than $1 million in...
's Black Sparrow Press. The story elucidates Bukowski's publicly acknowledged artistic debt to Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, the writer who had the most influence on American writers of Bukowksi's generation. Like "The Killers
The Killers (short story)
'"The Killers"' is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. It first appeared to the public in 1927 in Scribner's Magazine. How much Hemingway received for the literary piece is unknown, but some sources state it was $200. Historians have some documents showing that the working title of the piece was...
", Bukowski's story of the same name has as its thematic trope Murder in a nihilistic universe. Unlike Hemingway, the killers actually accomplish their act in the time-frame of the story.
Bukowski's authorial point-of-view in his version of "The Killers" also is influenced by Hemingway, as he it be seen as a logical outgrowth of the attitude expressed by Hemingway's fictional alter-ego Nick Adams
Nick Adams (character)
Nick Adams is a fictional character, the protagonist of two dozen short stories by American author Ernest Hemingway, written in the 1920s and 30s...
at the end of the 1927 "Killers":
"I'm going to get out of this town," Nick said.
"Yes," said George. "That's a good thing to do."
Bukowski's fiction is full of attempts to escape the Los Angeles of his childhood and teen-years, all of which are doomed to failure as his fictional alter-ego, Henry Chinaski
Henry Chinaski
Henry Charles "Hank" Chinaski is the semi-autobiographical protagonist of several works by the American writer Charles Bukowski. He appears in five of Bukowski's novels, a number of his short stories and poems, and the 1987 film Barfly. An author character, Chinaski's biography is largely based on...
, finds the same appalling corruption everywhere he travels. In Bukowski's "The Killers", there is no escape for the murderers who are the protagonists of the story, mirroring the doomed boxer Ole Andreson in Hemingway's original.