25 Charles Bukowski Quotes That Will Blow Your Mind

If you haven’t read any of Bukowski’s novels yet, then you can start reading these heart-warming Charles Bukowski quotes shared by this prolific writer.

You must have heard these words, but did you know who said this? Well yeah, we’re talking about one of the most celebrated American contemporary writers – Charles Bukowski.

Over the years, he has touched millions of hearts with his words and moved many souls.

Having lived a troublesome life in his early years, Bukowski portrayed his worldview through his words, and his writing often shows us the darker side of relationships, the lives of poor Americans, the struggle of alcoholics, and other adversities of the society.

To put it simply, he enjoyed narrating the hard-hitting subjects, weaving words that encircled the untouched reflections of his innermost thoughts.

If you haven’t read any of Bukowski’s novels yet, then you can start off with ‘Post Office’ or ‘Ham on Rye’ – but before that, scroll down and read these heart-warming quotes shared by this prolific writer.

Here are the best Charles Bukowski Quotes:

1. An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.

2. People run from rain but sit in bathtubs full of water.

3. I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.

4. Bad taste creates many more millionaires than good taste.

5. The nine-to-five is one of the greatest atrocities sprung upon mankind. You give your life away to a function that doesn’t interest you.

6. I wanted the whole world or nothing.

7. The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.

8. Anything is a waste of time unless you are fucking well or creating well or getting well or looming toward a kind of phantom-love-happiness.

9. Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.

10. 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.

11. Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live.

12. And if you have the ability to love, love yourself first.

13. When I think of myself dead, I think of someone making love to you when I’m not around.

14. Cheer up. Maybe you’ll be famous after you’re dead.

15. Some people don’t like anybody who is famous. Some people don’t like anybody who isn’t.

16. Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything.

17. Some moments are nice, some are nicer, some are even worth writing about.

18. I wasn’t lonely. I experienced no self-pity. I was just caught up in a life in which I could find no meaning.

19. I didn’t have any friends at school, didn’t want any. I felt better being alone. I sat on a bench and watched the others play and they looked foolish to me.

20. We don’t even ask happiness, just a little less pain.

21. I have one problem, I don’t hate people. They disgust me and I want to get away from them. I do not have hatred. I have an escape mechanism.

22. The worst thing,” he told me is bitterness, people end up so bitter.

23. If you don’t have much soul left and you know it, you still got soul.

24. People so tired mutilated either by love or no love.

25. Love is not a candle burning down. Life is. And love and life are not the same or else Love, having choice, nobody would ever die.

Let me know in comment section if you have your favourite quotes by Charles Bukowski.