86'd

A Novel

By: Dan Fante

Narrated by: Don Hagen

In Los Angeles, struggling telemarketer-writer and part-time drunk Bruno Dante is jobless again. The publication of his book of short stories has been put off indefinitely. Searching the want ads for a gig, he finds a chauffeur job. When Bruno calls the number in the ad, he discovers the boss is his former Manhattan employer David Koffman, who is opening a West Coast branch of his thriving limo service. Koffman hires Bruno as resident manager of Dav-Ko Hollywood under one condition: He must remain sober.

But instant business success triggers an abrupt booze-and-blackout-soaked downward spiral for Bruno, forcing him to confront his own madness as he struggles to keep his old familiar demons from getting the best of him yet again.

©2009 Dan Fante (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

"Readers who don’t hang up... won’t be able to stop listening." ( New York Times)

“Told in a free-flowing narrative style that features a number of memorable characters, Fante’s novel is dark, bleak, gritty, and inventively vulgar. It’s also honest, painful, and occasionally tender.” ( Booklist)

“Fante’s voice is strong, fun, smart and edgy and it makes 86’d a great read.” ( San Francisco Book Review)

not a bukowski

i lived it and finished quickly. but it is not a bukowski. it is missing the Oscar W. type details and descriprions which makes a difference in underground lit.

a great book, not for everyone

I read this years ago and it was nice to hear it again. I came to Dan Fante because of his father, writer John Fante. They are two very different writers from two very different eras yet strains of his fathers anger, frustration and self loathing are in Dans blood. If you like tales of drunken madness interspersed acerbic wit this may be a story for you.

The narrator did an excellent job.

n/a

I didn't get too far into this book, excessive use of cuss words is just lazy writing. They should be used to really highlight a particular point of view, thought, subject, emotion, etc. if absolutely necessary. When they are used so often, they loose all impact. I can't rate this book officially because of this writing style. The subject matter was intreguing though. Maybe I will revisit it one day.