Ham on Rye is by far the best of the 'Chinaski' novels. Unlike the rest, it covers Chinaski's childhood, concentrating on his teenage years, and it's eye-openingly brutal and often quite disgusting. I've never read a novel that makes the worst outbreak of acne you have ever heard of the centre of its story, but why not? This is often a traumatic and trasnformative experience for young people. As with Bukowski's other novels, raw honesty, and a complete disregard for civilized norms make for a compulsive read, but Ham on Rye is much more than that. You get a sense of the suffering that made Bukowski what he was. It enables you to empathize with him a great deal more.