Just finished this. Was pretty decent. One question. Was Bandini

In some ways Sammy was a better version of himself.

>>8420883
I agree. I just find it funny that Ask The Dust is trying to get you the sympathize with the dream of being a writer and how hard that goal is. Yet it portrays it through someone like Bandini, making the whole thing seem more like I'm throwing him pity candy than rooting for a cause.

basically he realizes the truth about loving women aka the death of innocence.
They like to be treated bad sometimes (read: most), and if you really want to love them, just give them something (like a dog or "thing") to love. The dog he leaves her with at the beach house is a metaphor for the book itself which he tosses into the desert after her.
His story was called "the little dog laughed".
Remember the part where he goes to the prostitute and is totally grossed out by her vagina? Yeah its kinda misogynistic in general but still true. i like it.

>>8420893
I hadn't thought of it like that, with his short story tying into the theme. It does seem misogynistic, but it is a fact on some level. I think Bandini and as a whole, Fante himself, never met a good woman.