here you go!!

wow, ok. i guess i'll start. WHY are they called "the soup"?! it bothered the hell out of me. can anyone explain?

the last part with GG was really sad. i loved the last line "The dedicated man. Knifed acriss the throat over a handful of circs from a local market - with its special: a free box of a brand name laundry soap, with the coupon, and any purchase over $3."

really don't know what else to say right now.

I'm really liking this book. It's an interesting story and easy to read.

So yay!

Stephanie: I think Soup comes from supervisor. The "supe" part sounds like Soup. That's all that makes sense to me.

I agree, that last part was really sad. Really sad. He was just a sweet old man.

ahhh, that makes sense.
now i feel stupid.

Is it just me or is it hard to get quotes for this book? Other than that, I love it!

The GG part was really sad.
Never would have thought of soup like that. I just thought it was just something random. Like calling them coffee or something.

This amused me:

"Each day it was another god damned thing, and you were always ready for a rape, murder, dogs, or insanity of some sort." (Pg. 21)

And so did the little old ladies running after him yelling about their mail.

I really like this book, so far. Everyone is right it is easy to read, and it feels as if you are in the story... The soup thing kind of threw me for a loop, and the GG part was really sad.

yeah soup is supervisor. haha

i thought the part with GG was sad too.
i thoguht that this quote "you shouldnt suck up to that woman. shes got a dirty mind. half the mothers in america,...,half the mothers in america have dirty minds." was interesting, because it showed a different side to things. they might be dirty for turning something into something else?

yeah lynn i thought that part was funny. i also thoguht it was funny imagining one of the mailmen i have seen driving throught all the water, getting stuck, swearing and flipping people off. i just dont see mailmen doing that. haha

i originally thought that there was something more important about the church, starting on page 21, but after rereading it, im not sure if there is. lol.

That is true, I don't think we've seen the last of that church.

Did anyone think the part where he went into the house after that crazy girl because she wouldn't sign for the letter kind of crazy? i mean, not that part really, because he needs to get her to sign it and i get that, but then when she starting saying he was raping her, he basically did. or did i not read that right?
but yeah, i was reading it and i stopped and was all 'so he just raped her basically..?'

anyway, i really do like it. it's a fast read and really funny.

lynn: yeah, you can't really get many quotes. or i haven't had any stick out to me yet!

braxton: the church does kind of seem like a place that could show up again. i guess we'll have to see!

i love when the guy is yelling at him through the screen and he freaks out on him, and the stuff about the vicious dogs, and just every little obstacle basically is hilarious and i think braxton said it, but yeah, you don't really see a mailmen as doing something like that, but he freaks out on everyone. it's great!!

hi lauren, stephanie, step, lynn, braxton, and sheynondoah!!!

i'm so glad it was an easy read...it doesn't really feel like i'm juggling two books cause this one is so easy to read. but i think all of you have pretty much said what i was thinking when i read this section. i do admire henry for sticking with the job till he got regular before he quit, kind of reminds me of my friend who had a really hard time working cause of her "soup" and quit after a while because of him, but now i think she's planning to go back and work there (after a year) to see if she can at least a high position, so maybe this book kind of shows the reality of life, sometimes after suffering with your job and quiting and getting time off of it, you'll go back to it with more respect or something...don't know...

what drove me a little crazy (or confused at least) were the terms like: dispatchers, magazines (are they like the magazines we read or something else?), and circulars...then i haven't got a clue if he walks to do his routes or if he has the 'post office truck'...but i guess that's not as important...

something i thought was interesting was that we only get to see henry at work...he doesn't go into very much detail about his life at home or what he does the days he's not working...his life can't be all about drinking, sex, and work...can it? most books would have gone into 'after work i went home and got a few drinks, went out to the club with work friends..." or something like that...we would have had more names...but bukowski hasn't mentioned any other main characters...i wonder...has anyone else thought about that?

and i enjoy how it's so easy because they're kind of snippets of short reads and events that's happened...it doesn't go into a full detailed circle about how he sorts out the mail, and every street he goes too, that part i enjoy because it flows more easily...

now i've blanked on what else to say, but if something else comes to mind, i shall be back!

xoxo

lauren- yeah haha he did rape her after she accused him of going to do it.i just thought of this and i dont think its right, but maybe could that be related to the part about how the mothers were the ones with the dirty minds? like, she said it, so he wanted it to happen to her? hah i dont think so though, just a thought.

annie- yeah the "postal service" terms can get confusing. haha. yes i have noticed that too. that he doesnt talk about his life outside of work. i always thought he pretty much did just go home and get drunk, but maybe i only feel that way because he doesnt say much other than that.

and i do agree too that its an easy read too, and i like it!

no, the church thing is over. (because i've already finished the book). and there are some better quotes as it goes on. although i really did like the reference to "the jonstone in the sky." (something like that).

the first time i read the rape part i thought it was crazy and i couldn't believe he did that (but his respect for women is kind of questionable). but the second time i read it i noticed something interesting-she was standing in front of the door and wouldn't let him out. and she lifted her legs for him. it was a weird little scene.

oh stephanie, that is a good point.

Maybe Braxton is right and that is what she was after, but wanted to be forced into it. Crazy, but she was kind of crazy. I don't know. Definitely don't agree no matter what.

but anyway, i never really thoght about it. but yeah, i think he just goes home and drinks and all that. He always says how he comes in all the time hungover and with little sleep, so i dont' think he does much else. I guess he's not the type that really has any friends.

About the walking and the truck. I think he walksk for the most part and then drives if he really needs too. I don't know that is a bit confusing.

i like how it has little snippets of things too. it all flows together nicely and has many stories in one big story.

some people have that whole rape fantasy. idk. i think she was a psycho-lady. he shouldn't have taken advantage but the whole thing was really nuts.

he drinks and has a lot of sex. they get more into personal life in the next few sections but that's really it. the stories are awesome though.

p.s. HI ANNIE! *flying tackle hug, CW club style*