Broke-Ass Stuart: The best novels about being broke

Almost all of us have figured out a way to legitimize our brokenness to ourselves.  Whether you’re an aspiring artist, a starving student, an underpaid idealist, just got laid off, or simply can’t hold down a regular job, you’ve found a way to explain to yourself (and everyone else) why you are where you are.  That’s why I put together the following list of the best novels about being broke.  Sure some of them romanticize brokeitude as something bohemian, but hell, Jack London said it best when he mused, “You look back and see how hard you worked and how poor you were, and how desperately anxious you were to succeed, and all you can remember is how happy you were.”  Some of these aren’t romantic at all, they’re just good books about really poor people.  Regardless, if you’re broke there’s no better way of entertaining yourself than reading a book; you can borrow all of these for free from the library. 
 
Note: This list is by no way complete.  I urge you to leave comments and suggestions for other great broke-ass novels. 
 
The Adventures of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (published in serial from 1837-1839)     This book single handedly made it ok for grubby little orphans to express themselves through song and dance.  Or was that the movie?  Either way, I still think Dickens writes like an asshole.  Judge for yourself by reading his complete works for FREE here.

 

Hunger by Knut Hamsun (1890)
The original starving artist novel, Hunger is all about well, starving artistically. The main character wanders around, obsessing about food, while slowly losing his mind.  He refuses to take on a regular job and would rather starve than earn money not creating art.  Basically imagine what Williamsburg in Brooklyn or The Mission in SF would be like if people’s parent’s weren’t paying their bills. It’s a frightening thought.

Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell (1933)
George Orwell flirts with bohemian life while washing dishes in Paris and tramping around London.  He doesn’t let on about this too much, but despite being an “artist” his parents float him money when he needs it.  This sets an obvious precedent.    
Luckily, if you’re too lazy to go to the library you can always read George Orwell’s complete work for FREE here.

 

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)
Ditching his wife in Brooklyn, Henry Miller lands himself in Paris and lives off other people’s kindness…yeah, he becomes a bum, er uh, a struggling writer.  Considered ground breaking for it’s use of stream of consciousness (which is actually quite annoying in this case) Tropic of Cancer is also considered revolutionary for it’s graphic and visceral descriptions of sex.  It wasn’t even allowed to be published in the US until 1961.  This book pretty much paved the way for all the foul mouthed and dirty minded writers who’ve come since.   
 

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1938)
The Great Depression was really depressing. The only thing even remotely worth romanticizing in this book is when a starving man gets breast fed, and that’s just weird.
 

 

 

Ask the Dust by John Fante (1939)
Probably John Fante’s most successful book (and by successful, I mean not very), Ask the Dust is about a young Italian-American, Arturo Bandini, who moves to LA during the Depression to be a writer.  He of course struggles with his art, then meets a hot Mexican girl, and a series of bad things happen. Charles Bukowski considered Fante to be one of his favorite writers.
  

On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1957)
Jack meets Neal.  Much hitchhiking, drinking, homoeroticism, Benzedrine, and hanky-panky occurs.  Jack writes On the Road and includes the most famous (and probably only) roman candle metaphor ever. Bohemians are redefined as anyone who realizes that the only people for them are “the mad ones”. 

 

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt (1996)
Nothing romantic about this one.  Frank McCourt’s childhood was fuuuuucked up!  Personally, I had a great time in Limerick, Ireland (where the book takes place) and  ended up partying all night long with some local bartenders. Plus, I didn’t even get knifed, despite the town’s nickname of “Stab City”.

 

Dishwasher by Pete Jordan (2007)
Well loved zinester Dishwasher Peter traveled around the country trying to wash dishes in all 50 states.  This book tells his story and details all the strange and wonderful things that go along with being the world’s most famous dishwasher.  Dishwasher Pete gives props to all his dish dog predecessors including George Orwell. 
  

Anything ever written by Charles Bukowski:
The patron saint of all broke-asses, outsiders, and losers, Bukowski wrote about life in starkly real terms through themes like sex, alcohol, prostitution, horse races, bar fights, and loneliness. Most of all, he wrote about Los Angeles.  Despite being well known for his poetry and short stories, he also wrote six novels in his lifetime: Post Office (1971), Factotum (1975), Women (1978), Ham on Rye (1982), Hollywood (1989) and Pulp (1994).  Women is my personal favorite and a good place to start if you’ve never read his work before.

 

• For more of Broke-Ass Stuart’s broke-ass recommendations, check out his website.  Or you can take a look at his books: Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco and New York.