I finally finished What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through The Fire by Charles Bukowski. I’ve been nibbling on it for four years I think, mainly between books for school, etc. The book consists of poems from the Bukowski archive, which essentially means it’s a way for his wife to keep getting royalty checks now that he’s dead. It is naturally not his best work; otherwise, it would have already been published. That being said if you like Bukowski, you’ll like the book. The title alone should make you want to buy it. The poems were written between 1970 and 1990, and the subject matter ranges from Bukowski’s feelings about fame to his reminiscence about childhood to his thoughts on old age. The usual Bukowski fare of hard drinking, gambling, unrequited love, and living in poverty are all there.
