Women is a 1978 novel written by Charles Bukowski, starring his semi-autobiographical character Henry Chinaski. In contrast to Factotum, Post Office and Ham on Rye, Women is centered on Chinaski's later life, as a celebrated poet and writer, not as a dead-end lowlife. It does, however, feature the same constant carousel of women with whom Chinaski only finds temporary fulfillment. Plot Characters Introduction Women focuses on the many complications Chinaski faced with each new woman he encountered and had sexual relations with. When asked about his relationship to women, he said that they gave much more than he gave to the relationship, and this acts as a central foundation to the development of Chinaski as a character, especially in the beginning of the novel. One of the first women featured in the book, who also recurred throughout the novel through random phonecalls and thoughts, is a character named Lydia Vance; she is based on Bukowski's one-time girlfriend, the sculptor and sometime poet Linda King. Chinaski's last face-to-face encounter with Lydia ended with her breaking into his house, destroying his paintings and books, and being arrested by police shortly afterwards; Chinaski refused to press charges, because Lydia had children she was struggling for custody for, and the charge would reflect negatively on that. But as soon as she was released, she called and threatened Chinaski again. Women and More Women After Lydia, there is an endless list of women that Chinaski goes through: Dee Dee (a successful Jewish music executive, "How the fatherland would've looked at us," he sarcastically sighed while with her), Tammie (an immature 20 year old woman and speed addict), Iris (an Indian-Canadian belly dancer met while giving a reading in Canada), Debra (a successful court documents company manager and paralegal), Laura (a Texas woman that Bukowski renamed "Katherine" because she looked like Katharine Hepburn), Sara (a health food nut who worked at a health food store), Cassie (rejected outright when Chinaski called and heard a man's voice respond), Tanya (a 23-year-old promiscuous mother, a 90-pound "tiny girl-child," and Chinaski's pen-pal), and Rochelle (the first and last woman he rejects in order to grow his final relationship, appearing only on the second to last page). In fact, a number of characters are introduced by means of sending a letter to Chinaski admiring his work (usually with photo if successful) and wanting to meet him. A good number of