Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

???, 11 Jun 2008
Does anyone know if this book of cab stories is the same as Corksucker? ive read corksucker and im unsure if this is the same book with a different name? Anyway Corksucker was great and im hooked on the Fante Family at the moment.

Also Check out Knut Hamsun (Hunger) If you are a fan of Authors who inspired Bukowski. (and Ask the Dust ,obviously)

Fine, 10 May 2007
Dan at his angst best. A brilliant collection of shorts that sum up the other life of LA - familiar streets to anyone that's been there. Dan continues to be treasonable merge of his father, John Fante's mastery of the slowly emerging beauty, and Charles Bukowski's poetry of grinding real life and loves tormented struggles.
[...]

Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

???, 11 Jun 2008
Does anyone know if this book of cab stories is the same as Corksucker? ive read corksucker and im unsure if this is the same book with a different name? Anyway Corksucker was great and im hooked on the Fante Family at the moment.

Also Check out Knut Hamsun (Hunger) If you are a fan of Authors who inspired Bukowski. (and Ask the Dust ,obviously)

Fine, 10 May 2007
Dan at his angst best. A brilliant collection of shorts that sum up the other life of LA - familiar streets to anyone that's been there. Dan continues to be treasonable merge of his father, John Fante's mastery of the slowly emerging beauty, and Charles Bukowski's poetry of grinding real life and loves tormented struggles.
[...]

Two Bandinis for the price of one, 12 Mar 2002
An interesting foreward to this edition by the author's son, explaining how his father ended up a golf-playing screenwriter in LA, rather than a Nobel prize-winning author in a million.

If you haven't had the pleasure of Fante or Bandini yet, then indulge yourself. This is a wonderful story of the confused and passionate lives of the two males Bandinis. It contains classy touches of humour, and is about human life in all its glory and squalor.

The only problem with Fante's books is that once you've read one, there's one less to read.

Don't wait until Spring, buy this now!, 09 Oct 2000
John Fante started out in the thirties as a short story writer and a novelist. This is his earliest published novel. The chief character, Bandini, is obviously autobiographical. It is based on the time immediately before he moved to California in 1930, it was first published in 1938. This edition has a useful introduction by his son Dan.

Why should you read him? Well, it's the classic American tale of a writer's adolescence. All Fante's later work mined the same vein, gradually getting older.

Why haven't you heard of him? Well, in Hollywood he did this and that and neglected his career. Before Charles Bukowski mentioned that he was his favourite novelist he was almost forgotten.

Read him because he tells great stories in clean pure prose. This is the first sentence I read when I open the book at random."He fell to wondering about her, his eyes bulging with curiosity for her protected world, so sleek and bright, like the rich silk that defined the round luxury of her handsome legs. " HONEST, THE FIRST RANDOM SENTENCE. Four, or five, worse American writers have got the Nobel prize.(*)

You don't read stuff like this, it sucks you in and lets you off at the other end.

(*) Three are Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck and Pearl S. Buck(!). I don't dare mention the fourth. Over the majority of his career, weighed book by book he is better than Hemingway. Not sure how that counts in the balance.

looking for help, 26 Nov 1998
Hi! I have read this book and thought it was very good. I have to write a report on it for my English class, but was shocked to find out that almost nothing is to be found about this book and its author. I have rummaged the whole library but there was nothing, and I can't find much useful information on the Internet, either. Is there anybody who has read this book and has also written a report or who knows where I can find information. Thanks. Leiah

Fante, the one and only., 06 Sep 1998
Do this for me, try the saga of Arturo Bandini, if you will get to the end without being in love for his style, his light but penetrating prose, without being eager for the next book, just tell me. We will try to find your problem ! :)

Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

???, 11 Jun 2008
Does anyone know if this book of cab stories is the same as Corksucker? ive read corksucker and im unsure if this is the same book with a different name? Anyway Corksucker was great and im hooked on the Fante Family at the moment.

Also Check out Knut Hamsun (Hunger) If you are a fan of Authors who inspired Bukowski. (and Ask the Dust ,obviously)

Fine, 10 May 2007
Dan at his angst best. A brilliant collection of shorts that sum up the other life of LA - familiar streets to anyone that's been there. Dan continues to be treasonable merge of his father, John Fante's mastery of the slowly emerging beauty, and Charles Bukowski's poetry of grinding real life and loves tormented struggles.
[...]

Two Bandinis for the price of one, 12 Mar 2002
An interesting foreward to this edition by the author's son, explaining how his father ended up a golf-playing screenwriter in LA, rather than a Nobel prize-winning author in a million.

If you haven't had the pleasure of Fante or Bandini yet, then indulge yourself. This is a wonderful story of the confused and passionate lives of the two males Bandinis. It contains classy touches of humour, and is about human life in all its glory and squalor.

The only problem with Fante's books is that once you've read one, there's one less to read.

Don't wait until Spring, buy this now!, 09 Oct 2000
John Fante started out in the thirties as a short story writer and a novelist. This is his earliest published novel. The chief character, Bandini, is obviously autobiographical. It is based on the time immediately before he moved to California in 1930, it was first published in 1938. This edition has a useful introduction by his son Dan.

Why should you read him? Well, it's the classic American tale of a writer's adolescence. All Fante's later work mined the same vein, gradually getting older.

Why haven't you heard of him? Well, in Hollywood he did this and that and neglected his career. Before Charles Bukowski mentioned that he was his favourite novelist he was almost forgotten.

Read him because he tells great stories in clean pure prose. This is the first sentence I read when I open the book at random."He fell to wondering about her, his eyes bulging with curiosity for her protected world, so sleek and bright, like the rich silk that defined the round luxury of her handsome legs. " HONEST, THE FIRST RANDOM SENTENCE. Four, or five, worse American writers have got the Nobel prize.(*)

You don't read stuff like this, it sucks you in and lets you off at the other end.

(*) Three are Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck and Pearl S. Buck(!). I don't dare mention the fourth. Over the majority of his career, weighed book by book he is better than Hemingway. Not sure how that counts in the balance.

looking for help, 26 Nov 1998
Hi! I have read this book and thought it was very good. I have to write a report on it for my English class, but was shocked to find out that almost nothing is to be found about this book and its author. I have rummaged the whole library but there was nothing, and I can't find much useful information on the Internet, either. Is there anybody who has read this book and has also written a report or who knows where I can find information. Thanks. Leiah

Fante, the one and only., 06 Sep 1998
Do this for me, try the saga of Arturo Bandini, if you will get to the end without being in love for his style, his light but penetrating prose, without being eager for the next book, just tell me. We will try to find your problem ! :)

A fresh twist to the autobiographical fiction genre, 03 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of Dan Fante and Bukowski, and though SaFranko's style and subject matter is similar, he emerges with enough of a distinctive voice to carry it off.
Much of the writing is deadpan in the sense that he does not elaborate on his own or Olivia's motives, leaving us as readers to fill the gaps for ourselves. The details of the relationship, based on lust rather than communication or empathy, are horrendously familiar when you've been in similar situations yourself. From a starting point of hot sex and mutual flattery, the couple over time fail to overcome the mundane challenges of living together, turning each problematic situation into a damaging assault upon each other. I don't think SaFranko portrays himself as a victim, his unrelenting honesty achieves quite the opposite effect of making us question his actions as much as hers, though his disdain for Olivia's craving for a bourgois existence is searing.
Ultimately, the couple use the very things which bound them together in the first place as weapons - sex becomes a power game and flattery turns to spite. The overall effect is compelling. Highly recommended.

Take a bite out of this reality sandwich..., 02 Jul 2007
Dan Fante, in his introduction to Hating Olivia is spot on. The only way to read Hating Olivia is in one sitting; if you get the book, get the writing, there's no other way to read it.

Writers like SaFranco give writers like me hope and courage. Hope that there are people out there fighting the good fight when it comes to literature, to writing words that mean something, writing words that count (at least in my book). And courage too. Courage to write my own words, to cut through the worlds BS and cut through my own BS until I'm left with something approximating my authentic self.

This is a great read and deserves a wide audience. Writers who like this should also check out John Fante, Dan Fante, Charles Bukowski, Raymond Carver, and the writers being given a voice by literary mag The Savage Kick (www.murderslim.com).

Dirty Realism's Big Brother, 28 Jun 2007
This novel is great. No tricks, no show boating, nothing bogus. Mark SaFranko gives us his world view raw and unadulterated. Like all great writers SaFranko's prose looks easy but try writing like him and you know you can only do it if you've lived like him. All those little things that challenge us every day are presented here realistically and with humour. I've not read anything that excited me as much as this since Dan Fante's "Spitting Off Tall Buildings". Check out www.murderslim.com for more info on SaFranko and his sequel "Lounge Lizard" and also links to a great literary magazine, The Savage Kick.

Book of the Decade, 16 May 2007
This book is brilliant. Buy it, read it, be astounded, and then keep on the look out for the next installtion, Lounge Lizard, which I've been told will be available anytime soon.

Hating Olivia is up there with the greats, as good as anything by Dan Fante, Bukowski, John Fante, etc. Every sentence is a knock-out punch, every paragraph shimmering with honest emotion and raw beauty, each chapter a heart-breaking work of art.

You will read this book in one sitting, you will not be able to put it down, and afterwards it will linger long in the memory.

Joseph Ridgwell 2007. Brutalist. Offbeat. London.

Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

???, 11 Jun 2008
Does anyone know if this book of cab stories is the same as Corksucker? ive read corksucker and im unsure if this is the same book with a different name? Anyway Corksucker was great and im hooked on the Fante Family at the moment.

Also Check out Knut Hamsun (Hunger) If you are a fan of Authors who inspired Bukowski. (and Ask the Dust ,obviously)

Fine, 10 May 2007
Dan at his angst best. A brilliant collection of shorts that sum up the other life of LA - familiar streets to anyone that's been there. Dan continues to be treasonable merge of his father, John Fante's mastery of the slowly emerging beauty, and Charles Bukowski's poetry of grinding real life and loves tormented struggles.
[...]

Two Bandinis for the price of one, 12 Mar 2002
An interesting foreward to this edition by the author's son, explaining how his father ended up a golf-playing screenwriter in LA, rather than a Nobel prize-winning author in a million.

If you haven't had the pleasure of Fante or Bandini yet, then indulge yourself. This is a wonderful story of the confused and passionate lives of the two males Bandinis. It contains classy touches of humour, and is about human life in all its glory and squalor.

The only problem with Fante's books is that once you've read one, there's one less to read.

Don't wait until Spring, buy this now!, 09 Oct 2000
John Fante started out in the thirties as a short story writer and a novelist. This is his earliest published novel. The chief character, Bandini, is obviously autobiographical. It is based on the time immediately before he moved to California in 1930, it was first published in 1938. This edition has a useful introduction by his son Dan.

Why should you read him? Well, it's the classic American tale of a writer's adolescence. All Fante's later work mined the same vein, gradually getting older.

Why haven't you heard of him? Well, in Hollywood he did this and that and neglected his career. Before Charles Bukowski mentioned that he was his favourite novelist he was almost forgotten.

Read him because he tells great stories in clean pure prose. This is the first sentence I read when I open the book at random."He fell to wondering about her, his eyes bulging with curiosity for her protected world, so sleek and bright, like the rich silk that defined the round luxury of her handsome legs. " HONEST, THE FIRST RANDOM SENTENCE. Four, or five, worse American writers have got the Nobel prize.(*)

You don't read stuff like this, it sucks you in and lets you off at the other end.

(*) Three are Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck and Pearl S. Buck(!). I don't dare mention the fourth. Over the majority of his career, weighed book by book he is better than Hemingway. Not sure how that counts in the balance.

looking for help, 26 Nov 1998
Hi! I have read this book and thought it was very good. I have to write a report on it for my English class, but was shocked to find out that almost nothing is to be found about this book and its author. I have rummaged the whole library but there was nothing, and I can't find much useful information on the Internet, either. Is there anybody who has read this book and has also written a report or who knows where I can find information. Thanks. Leiah

Fante, the one and only., 06 Sep 1998
Do this for me, try the saga of Arturo Bandini, if you will get to the end without being in love for his style, his light but penetrating prose, without being eager for the next book, just tell me. We will try to find your problem ! :)

A fresh twist to the autobiographical fiction genre, 03 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of Dan Fante and Bukowski, and though SaFranko's style and subject matter is similar, he emerges with enough of a distinctive voice to carry it off.
Much of the writing is deadpan in the sense that he does not elaborate on his own or Olivia's motives, leaving us as readers to fill the gaps for ourselves. The details of the relationship, based on lust rather than communication or empathy, are horrendously familiar when you've been in similar situations yourself. From a starting point of hot sex and mutual flattery, the couple over time fail to overcome the mundane challenges of living together, turning each problematic situation into a damaging assault upon each other. I don't think SaFranko portrays himself as a victim, his unrelenting honesty achieves quite the opposite effect of making us question his actions as much as hers, though his disdain for Olivia's craving for a bourgois existence is searing.
Ultimately, the couple use the very things which bound them together in the first place as weapons - sex becomes a power game and flattery turns to spite. The overall effect is compelling. Highly recommended.

Take a bite out of this reality sandwich..., 02 Jul 2007
Dan Fante, in his introduction to Hating Olivia is spot on. The only way to read Hating Olivia is in one sitting; if you get the book, get the writing, there's no other way to read it.

Writers like SaFranco give writers like me hope and courage. Hope that there are people out there fighting the good fight when it comes to literature, to writing words that mean something, writing words that count (at least in my book). And courage too. Courage to write my own words, to cut through the worlds BS and cut through my own BS until I'm left with something approximating my authentic self.

This is a great read and deserves a wide audience. Writers who like this should also check out John Fante, Dan Fante, Charles Bukowski, Raymond Carver, and the writers being given a voice by literary mag The Savage Kick (www.murderslim.com).

Dirty Realism's Big Brother, 28 Jun 2007
This novel is great. No tricks, no show boating, nothing bogus. Mark SaFranko gives us his world view raw and unadulterated. Like all great writers SaFranko's prose looks easy but try writing like him and you know you can only do it if you've lived like him. All those little things that challenge us every day are presented here realistically and with humour. I've not read anything that excited me as much as this since Dan Fante's "Spitting Off Tall Buildings". Check out www.murderslim.com for more info on SaFranko and his sequel "Lounge Lizard" and also links to a great literary magazine, The Savage Kick.

Book of the Decade, 16 May 2007
This book is brilliant. Buy it, read it, be astounded, and then keep on the look out for the next installtion, Lounge Lizard, which I've been told will be available anytime soon.

Hating Olivia is up there with the greats, as good as anything by Dan Fante, Bukowski, John Fante, etc. Every sentence is a knock-out punch, every paragraph shimmering with honest emotion and raw beauty, each chapter a heart-breaking work of art.

You will read this book in one sitting, you will not be able to put it down, and afterwards it will linger long in the memory.

Joseph Ridgwell 2007. Brutalist. Offbeat. London.

Corker, 11 Jun 2008
If your a fan of Charles Bukowski's short stories (Notes of a dirty old man is my fav) or indeed Dan's old man John Fante you will love this book. Its full of humor as you follow a cab driver around the streets of LA and into his home life. (Just a shame the book is so short!) This is a must have for my collection! Im now off to buy Chump Change which is supposed to be great too.

NEVER FORGET BUKOWSKI!

His fathers son., 02 Jun 2007
John Fante was a great writer and I was delighted to find out that his son Dan is also a master of the written word.
I've only recently discovered Dan's books (after I'd read his fathers terrific Bandini novels) but what a find and I think 'corksucker' is a great place to start reading him. A collection of excellent short stories connected by a cabbie with a drink problem this thin volume kept me reading and wanting more (I re-read it straight away).
Grotesque characters, brutal honesty and graveyard humour are the order of the day. Forget Bukowski, Fante is the man to read!

Classic!, 20 Aug 2008
I love this book and its a sad world we live in that people dont know the name ARTURO BANDINI!!!



A very mixed bag, 30 Dec 2007
I read these novels in order, all in one go as the book has been laid out. This certainly, however, is not how the books were supposed to be read. The first clue to this is in the fact that Fante changes various characters and aspects of Bandinis life from novel to novel (in the first book he has 2 brothers, in the second he has 1 sister). The second thing is that the second book in the quartet, "the road to los angeles" was only published posthumously after Fante's wife discovered the manuscript. This suggests to me that Fante never intended for this novel to be published and for good reason. It really isn't very good.

Book I: Wait until spring bandini is very good, very satisfying and well written. 4/5

Book II: The road to los angeles is reminiscent of the first overwrought, embarassingly bad teenage explorations into writing that a writer would never want to see the light of day as Fante surely felt. Deeply personal and showing a lot of promise but excessively meandering and just generally irritating. If You've just bought this book but not read it yet my advice would be to imagine that this part of the quartet doesnt exist and skip ahead to book 3. 2/5

Book III: Ask the dust. Easily the best novel in the quartet. Can see why Bukowski was so knocked out by it. Incredibly passionate and reads like a dream. 5/5

Book IV: Dreams of bunker hill. Dictated by a blind-wheelchair bound Fante to his wife. Obviously considering these situations its not going to be as good as his previous work. Not bad, just a bit mediocre. 3/5

In conclusion, this is a very mixed collection of novels that really weren't intended to be read all in succession like this. To Anyone wanting to check out John Fante or simply anyone who likes american 20thC literature i will strongly reccomend Ask The Dust. Probably best to buy that as a single volume rather than investing in this cumbersome block of mismatched novels. Or alternately I hear that Brotherhood of the grape is probably his best novel, so I'm sure that's very good too.

'Wait Until Spring Bandini' - The broken dream, 04 Sep 2007
Reading the opening few pages of the first book in the Bandini Quartet, I really didn't know what to expect because it appeared to be a justification for a wasted career by this son. 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' is a beautifully written and should need no justification. The understanding of both generations of this family are an insight into how far away many people are from the American dream however hard they try to fight it. The small, nothing town setting just adds to the feeling of the family being trapped. This book was a truthful account of the broken family with the raw emotion showing through but unlike other books, like Angela's Ashes, you didn't feel they were asking you for your pity. It is a story of lost lives and under achievement. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Bokowski was right, the man is a god, 12 Apr 2006
In a world dominated by J.K Rowlings, and Catherine Cooksons, it has become apparent the mainstream writers are having a little trouble with honesty. For Fante, however, it was his forte.

This book is 'beautifully' written, and each sentence flows from one to the other in a way that can be alikened to that of coupland. The topics are often hard hitting, but Fante tackles them with the dark wit that both him and Bukowski possess.

If you've read Bukowski, and are struggling to find something that imprints itself on the mind as perfectly, by Fante.

Both Bukowski and Fante have a talent that should not be missed; they could describe a day of absolute nothingness and it would appear as the most infactuating day the world has ever offered.

This is a novel (4 novels) that you should own.

Bandini Quartet, 01 Oct 2005
As previous reviews suggest, this collection of novels simply breathes life into its readers. From the enchanting story of Arturo and his father in 'Wait Until Spring Bandini' to the bitter young man's later relations with his Camilla in, the most critically aclaimed of all Fante's novels, 'Ask The Dust'. Fante spins a mesmerising web of a life for his semi autobiographical anti-hero. These novels are the story of every angry, poverty stricken young man. The first two are set in the dead end town of Rocklin, Colorado where Arturo feels eternally out of place. If you want a book where it's lead character can become a part of your soul and your understanding of the world then there is no book I would recommend more highly than the 'Bandini Quartet'. It is raw,passionate and angry but also full of beauty particularly shown in Arturo's relationship with at least one of the other characters in each novel (veryone who reads this books will be spending some of the best time of their lives doing so.

???, 11 Jun 2008
Does anyone know if this book of cab stories is the same as Corksucker? ive read corksucker and im unsure if this is the same book with a different name? Anyway Corksucker was great and im hooked on the Fante Family at the moment.

Also Check out Knut Hamsun (Hunger) If you are a fan of Authors who inspired Bukowski. (and Ask the Dust ,obviously)

Fine, 10 May 2007
Dan at his angst best. A brilliant collection of shorts that sum up the other life of LA - familiar streets to anyone that's been there. Dan continues to be treasonable merge of his father, John Fante's mastery of the slowly emerging beauty, and Charles Bukowski's poetry of grinding real life and loves tormented struggles.
[...]

Two Bandinis for the price of one, 12 Mar 2002
An interesting foreward to this edition by the author's son, explaining how his father ended up a golf-playing screenwriter in LA, rather than a Nobel prize-winning author in a million.

If you haven't had the pleasure of Fante or Bandini yet, then indulge yourself. This is a wonderful story of the confused and passionate lives of the two males Bandinis. It contains classy touches of humour, and is about human life in all its glory and squalor.

The only problem with Fante's books is that once you've read one, there's one less to read.

Don't wait until Spring, buy this now!, 09 Oct 2000
John Fante started out in the thirties as a short story writer and a novelist. This is his earliest published novel. The chief character, Bandini, is obviously autobiographical. It is based on the time immediately before he moved to California in 1930, it was first published in 1938. This edition has a useful introduction by his son Dan.

Why should you read him? Well, it's the classic American tale of a writer's adolescence. All Fante's later work mined the same vein, gradually getting older.

Why haven't you heard of him? Well, in Hollywood he did this and that and neglected his career. Before Charles Bukowski mentioned that he was his favourite novelist he was almost forgotten.

Read him because he tells great stories in clean pure prose. This is the first sentence I read when I open the book at random."He fell to wondering about her, his eyes bulging with curiosity for her protected world, so sleek and bright, like the rich silk that defined the round luxury of her handsome legs. " HONEST, THE FIRST RANDOM SENTENCE. Four, or five, worse American writers have got the Nobel prize.(*)

You don't read stuff like this, it sucks you in and lets you off at the other end.

(*) Three are Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck and Pearl S. Buck(!). I don't dare mention the fourth. Over the majority of his career, weighed book by book he is better than Hemingway. Not sure how that counts in the balance.

looking for help, 26 Nov 1998
Hi! I have read this book and thought it was very good. I have to write a report on it for my English class, but was shocked to find out that almost nothing is to be found about this book and its author. I have rummaged the whole library but there was nothing, and I can't find much useful information on the Internet, either. Is there anybody who has read this book and has also written a report or who knows where I can find information. Thanks. Leiah

Fante, the one and only., 06 Sep 1998
Do this for me, try the saga of Arturo Bandini, if you will get to the end without being in love for his style, his light but penetrating prose, without being eager for the next book, just tell me. We will try to find your problem ! :)

A fresh twist to the autobiographical fiction genre, 03 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of Dan Fante and Bukowski, and though SaFranko's style and subject matter is similar, he emerges with enough of a distinctive voice to carry it off.
Much of the writing is deadpan in the sense that he does not elaborate on his own or Olivia's motives, leaving us as readers to fill the gaps for ourselves. The details of the relationship, based on lust rather than communication or empathy, are horrendously familiar when you've been in similar situations yourself. From a starting point of hot sex and mutual flattery, the couple over time fail to overcome the mundane challenges of living together, turning each problematic situation into a damaging assault upon each other. I don't think SaFranko portrays himself as a victim, his unrelenting honesty achieves quite the opposite effect of making us question his actions as much as hers, though his disdain for Olivia's craving for a bourgois existence is searing.
Ultimately, the couple use the very things which bound them together in the first place as weapons - sex becomes a power game and flattery turns to spite. The overall effect is compelling. Highly recommended.

Take a bite out of this reality sandwich..., 02 Jul 2007
Dan Fante, in his introduction to Hating Olivia is spot on. The only way to read Hating Olivia is in one sitting; if you get the book, get the writing, there's no other way to read it.

Writers like SaFranco give writers like me hope and courage. Hope that there are people out there fighting the good fight when it comes to literature, to writing words that mean something, writing words that count (at least in my book). And courage too. Courage to write my own words, to cut through the worlds BS and cut through my own BS until I'm left with something approximating my authentic self.

This is a great read and deserves a wide audience. Writers who like this should also check out John Fante, Dan Fante, Charles Bukowski, Raymond Carver, and the writers being given a voice by literary mag The Savage Kick (www.murderslim.com).

Dirty Realism's Big Brother, 28 Jun 2007
This novel is great. No tricks, no show boating, nothing bogus. Mark SaFranko gives us his world view raw and unadulterated. Like all great writers SaFranko's prose looks easy but try writing like him and you know you can only do it if you've lived like him. All those little things that challenge us every day are presented here realistically and with humour. I've not read anything that excited me as much as this since Dan Fante's "Spitting Off Tall Buildings". Check out www.murderslim.com for more info on SaFranko and his sequel "Lounge Lizard" and also links to a great literary magazine, The Savage Kick.

Book of the Decade, 16 May 2007
This book is brilliant. Buy it, read it, be astounded, and then keep on the look out for the next installtion, Lounge Lizard, which I've been told will be available anytime soon.

Hating Olivia is up there with the greats, as good as anything by Dan Fante, Bukowski, John Fante, etc. Every sentence is a knock-out punch, every paragraph shimmering with honest emotion and raw beauty, each chapter a heart-breaking work of art.

You will read this book in one sitting, you will not be able to put it down, and afterwards it will linger long in the memory.

Joseph Ridgwell 2007. Brutalist. Offbeat. London.

Corker, 11 Jun 2008
If your a fan of Charles Bukowski's short stories (Notes of a dirty old man is my fav) or indeed Dan's old man John Fante you will love this book. Its full of humor as you follow a cab driver around the streets of LA and into his home life. (Just a shame the book is so short!) This is a must have for my collection! Im now off to buy Chump Change which is supposed to be great too.

NEVER FORGET BUKOWSKI!

His fathers son., 02 Jun 2007
John Fante was a great writer and I was delighted to find out that his son Dan is also a master of the written word.
I've only recently discovered Dan's books (after I'd read his fathers terrific Bandini novels) but what a find and I think 'corksucker' is a great place to start reading him. A collection of excellent short stories connected by a cabbie with a drink problem this thin volume kept me reading and wanting more (I re-read it straight away).
Grotesque characters, brutal honesty and graveyard humour are the order of the day. Forget Bukowski, Fante is the man to read!

front line dispatches from the real world, 21 Dec 2007
not the usual false fictional world of most contemporary fiction. SaFranko's fiction rings true - the truth of experience, be it soul destroying jobs, bad dates, good dates, the truth of being alive in the middle of death or filling your days with orgasm or the pursuit of it - reading Lounge Lizard made me understand for the first time why the French refer to orgasm as little death. SaFranko's narrator gets what he thinks he wants but realises he needs more and the novel ends with a very powerful and disturbing conclusion. I recommend this book to those who like their fiction straight up, no mixers, or sweeteners, just raw, pure writing that takes you into a fictional world that feels realer than the one your in...