A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Charles Bukowski Books in Order

The complete Charles Bukowski reading order — 40 books from 1968–2005.

  1. 01 Charles Bukowski 1968 Amazon — buy Charles Bukowski Bookshop — buy Charles Bukowski ThriftBooks — buy Charles Bukowski eBooks.com — buy Charles Bukowski
  2. 02 Notes of a dirty old man 1969 Amazon — buy Notes of a dirty old man Bookshop — buy Notes of a dirty old man ThriftBooks — buy Notes of a dirty old man eBooks.com — buy Notes of a dirty old man
  3. 03 The days run away like wild horses over the hills 1969 Amazon — buy The days run away like wild horses over the hills Bookshop — buy The days run away like wild horses over the hills ThriftBooks — buy The days run away like wild horses over the hills eBooks.com — buy The days run away like wild horses over the hills
  4. 04 Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness 1972 Amazon — buy Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness Bookshop — buy Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness ThriftBooks — buy Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness eBooks.com — buy Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness
  5. 05 Mockingbird wish me luck 1972 Amazon — buy Mockingbird wish me luck Bookshop — buy Mockingbird wish me luck ThriftBooks — buy Mockingbird wish me luck eBooks.com — buy Mockingbird wish me luck
  6. 06 South of No North 1973 Amazon — buy South of No North Bookshop — buy South of No North ThriftBooks — buy South of No North eBooks.com — buy South of No North
  7. 07 Post office 1974 Amazon — buy Post office Bookshop — buy Post office ThriftBooks — buy Post office eBooks.com — buy Post office
  8. 08 Burning in water, drowning in flame 1974 Amazon — buy Burning in water, drowning in flame Bookshop — buy Burning in water, drowning in flame ThriftBooks — buy Burning in water, drowning in flame eBooks.com — buy Burning in water, drowning in flame
  9. 09 Factotum 1975 Amazon — buy Factotum Bookshop — buy Factotum ThriftBooks — buy Factotum eBooks.com — buy Factotum
  10. 10 Love Is a Dog from Hell 1977 Amazon — buy Love Is a Dog from Hell Bookshop — buy Love Is a Dog from Hell ThriftBooks — buy Love Is a Dog from Hell eBooks.com — buy Love Is a Dog from Hell
  11. 11 Women 1978 Amazon — buy Women Bookshop — buy Women ThriftBooks — buy Women eBooks.com — buy Women
  12. 12 Shakespeare never did this 1979 Amazon — buy Shakespeare never did this Bookshop — buy Shakespeare never did this ThriftBooks — buy Shakespeare never did this eBooks.com — buy Shakespeare never did this
  13. 13 Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit 1979 Amazon — buy Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit Bookshop — buy Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit ThriftBooks — buy Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit eBooks.com — buy Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit
  14. 14 Dangling in the tournefortia 1981 Amazon — buy Dangling in the tournefortia Bookshop — buy Dangling in the tournefortia ThriftBooks — buy Dangling in the tournefortia eBooks.com — buy Dangling in the tournefortia
  15. 15 Ham on Rye 1982 Amazon — buy Ham on Rye Bookshop — buy Ham on Rye ThriftBooks — buy Ham on Rye eBooks.com — buy Ham on Rye
  16. 16 Hot water music 1983 Amazon — buy Hot water music Bookshop — buy Hot water music ThriftBooks — buy Hot water music eBooks.com — buy Hot water music
  17. 17 The most beautiful woman in town & other stories 1983 Amazon — buy The most beautiful woman in town & other stories Bookshop — buy The most beautiful woman in town & other stories ThriftBooks — buy The most beautiful woman in town & other stories eBooks.com — buy The most beautiful woman in town & other stories
  18. 18 Tales of Ordinary Madness 1983 Amazon — buy Tales of Ordinary Madness Bookshop — buy Tales of Ordinary Madness ThriftBooks — buy Tales of Ordinary Madness eBooks.com — buy Tales of Ordinary Madness
  19. 19 Bring me your love 1983 Amazon — buy Bring me your love Bookshop — buy Bring me your love ThriftBooks — buy Bring me your love eBooks.com — buy Bring me your love
  20. 20 War all the time 1984 Amazon — buy War all the time Bookshop — buy War all the time ThriftBooks — buy War all the time eBooks.com — buy War all the time
  21. 21 You get so alone at times that it just makes sense 1986 Amazon — buy You get so alone at times that it just makes sense Bookshop — buy You get so alone at times that it just makes sense ThriftBooks — buy You get so alone at times that it just makes sense eBooks.com — buy You get so alone at times that it just makes sense
  22. 22 Hollywood 1989 Amazon — buy Hollywood Bookshop — buy Hollywood ThriftBooks — buy Hollywood eBooks.com — buy Hollywood
  23. 23 Septuagenarian Stew 1990 Amazon — buy Septuagenarian Stew Bookshop — buy Septuagenarian Stew ThriftBooks — buy Septuagenarian Stew eBooks.com — buy Septuagenarian Stew
  24. 24 Bukowski 1991 Amazon — buy Bukowski Bookshop — buy Bukowski ThriftBooks — buy Bukowski eBooks.com — buy Bukowski
  25. 25 The Last Night of the Earth Poems 1992 Amazon — buy The Last Night of the Earth Poems Bookshop — buy The Last Night of the Earth Poems ThriftBooks — buy The Last Night of the Earth Poems eBooks.com — buy The Last Night of the Earth Poems
  26. 26 Run with the hunted 1993 Amazon — buy Run with the hunted Bookshop — buy Run with the hunted ThriftBooks — buy Run with the hunted eBooks.com — buy Run with the hunted
  27. 27 Screams from the Balcony 1993 Amazon — buy Screams from the Balcony Bookshop — buy Screams from the Balcony ThriftBooks — buy Screams from the Balcony eBooks.com — buy Screams from the Balcony
  28. 28 Pulp 1994 Amazon — buy Pulp Bookshop — buy Pulp ThriftBooks — buy Pulp eBooks.com — buy Pulp
  29. 29 Betting on the muse 1996 Amazon — buy Betting on the muse Bookshop — buy Betting on the muse ThriftBooks — buy Betting on the muse eBooks.com — buy Betting on the muse
  30. 30 Bone palace ballet 1997 Amazon — buy Bone palace ballet Bookshop — buy Bone palace ballet ThriftBooks — buy Bone palace ballet eBooks.com — buy Bone palace ballet
  31. 31 Bukowski on Bukowski 1998 Amazon — buy Bukowski on Bukowski Bookshop — buy Bukowski on Bukowski ThriftBooks — buy Bukowski on Bukowski eBooks.com — buy Bukowski on Bukowski
  32. 32 The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship 1998 Amazon — buy The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship Bookshop — buy The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship ThriftBooks — buy The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship eBooks.com — buy The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship
  33. 33 Bukowski Unleashed 1998 Amazon — buy Bukowski Unleashed Bookshop — buy Bukowski Unleashed ThriftBooks — buy Bukowski Unleashed eBooks.com — buy Bukowski Unleashed
  34. 34 What matters most is how well you walk through the fire 1999 Amazon — buy What matters most is how well you walk through the fire Bookshop — buy What matters most is how well you walk through the fire ThriftBooks — buy What matters most is how well you walk through the fire eBooks.com — buy What matters most is how well you walk through the fire
  35. 35 The night torn mad with footsteps 2001 Amazon — buy The night torn mad with footsteps Bookshop — buy The night torn mad with footsteps ThriftBooks — buy The night torn mad with footsteps eBooks.com — buy The night torn mad with footsteps
  36. 36 sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way 2002 Amazon — buy sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way Bookshop — buy sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way ThriftBooks — buy sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way eBooks.com — buy sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way
  37. 37 The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain 2003 Amazon — buy The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain Bookshop — buy The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain ThriftBooks — buy The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain eBooks.com — buy The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain
  38. 38 New Poems 2003 Amazon — buy New Poems Bookshop — buy New Poems ThriftBooks — buy New Poems eBooks.com — buy New Poems
  39. 39 Se busca una mujer 2003 Amazon — buy Se busca una mujer Bookshop — buy Se busca una mujer ThriftBooks — buy Se busca una mujer eBooks.com — buy Se busca una mujer
  40. 40 Slouching Toward Nirvana 2005 Amazon — buy Slouching Toward Nirvana Bookshop — buy Slouching Toward Nirvana ThriftBooks — buy Slouching Toward Nirvana eBooks.com — buy Slouching Toward Nirvana

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Charles Bukowski

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 Charles Bukowski 1968
2 Notes of a dirty old man 1969
3 The days run away like wild horses over the hills 1969
4 Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness 1972
5 Mockingbird wish me luck 1972
6 South of No North 1973
7 Post office 1974
8 Burning in water, drowning in flame 1974
9 Factotum 1975
10 Love Is a Dog from Hell 1977
11 Women 1978
12 Shakespeare never did this 1979
13 Play the piano drunk like a percussion instrument until the fingers begin to bleed a bit 1979
14 Dangling in the tournefortia 1981
15 Ham on Rye 1982
16 Hot water music 1983
17 The most beautiful woman in town & other stories 1983
18 Tales of Ordinary Madness 1983
19 Bring me your love 1983
20 War all the time 1984
21 You get so alone at times that it just makes sense 1986
22 Hollywood 1989
23 Septuagenarian Stew 1990
24 Bukowski 1991
25 The Last Night of the Earth Poems 1992
26 Run with the hunted 1993
27 Screams from the Balcony 1993
28 Pulp 1994
29 Betting on the muse 1996
30 Bone palace ballet 1997
31 Bukowski on Bukowski 1998
32 The captain is out to lunch and the sailors have taken over the ship 1998
33 Bukowski Unleashed 1998
34 What matters most is how well you walk through the fire 1999
35 The night torn mad with footsteps 2001
36 sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way 2002
37 The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain 2003
38 New Poems 2003
39 Se busca una mujer 2003
40 Slouching Toward Nirvana 2005

Charles Bukowski reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with Charles Bukowski (1968). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Charles Bukowski — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Charles Bukowski books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1968–2005.

What is the newest Charles Bukowski book?

Slouching Toward Nirvana, published in 2005.