Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
Post Office
Buy on Amazon1971
Factotum
Buy on Amazon1975
Women
Buy on Amazon1978
Ham on Rye
Buy on Amazon1982
Barfly
Buy on Amazon1983
Hollywood
Buy on Amazon1989
Pulp
Buy on Amazon1994
Run With the Hunted
Buy on Amazon1962
It Catches My Heart in Its Hands
Buy on Amazon1963
Crucifix in a Deathhand
Buy on Amazon1965
Cold Dogs In The Courtyard
Buy on Amazon1965
At Terror Street And Agony Way
Buy on Amazon1968
The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills
Buy on Amazon1969
Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions, and General Tales of Ordinary Madness
Buy on Amazon1972
Mockingbird Wish Me Luck
Buy on Amazon1972
South of No North
Buy on Amazon1973
Poems written before jumping out of an 8 story window
Buy on Amazon1974
Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame
Buy on Amazon1974
Love Is a Dog from Hell
Buy on Amazon1977
Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit
Buy on Amazon1979
Dangling in the Tournefortia
Buy on Amazon1981
The Most Beautiful Woman in Town & Other Stories
Buy on Amazon1983
Tales of Ordinary Madness
Buy on Amazon1983
Hot Water Music
Buy on Amazon1983
War All the Time
Buy on Amazon1984
You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
Buy on Amazon1986
The Roominghouse Madrigals
Buy on Amazon1988
A Bukowski Sampler
Buy on Amazon1988
Septuagenarian Stew
Buy on Amazon1990
In the Shadow of the Rose
Buy on Amazon1991
The Last Night of the Earth Poems
Buy on Amazon1992
Betting on the Muse
Buy on Amazon1996
Bone Palace Ballet
Buy on Amazon1997
What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire
Buy on Amazon1999
Open All Night
Buy on Amazon2000
The Night Torn Mad With Footsteps
Buy on Amazon2001
Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way: New Poems Book 1
Buy on Amazon2002
Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way: New Poems Book 2
Buy on Amazon2002
New Poems Book One
Buy on Amazon2003
New Poems Book Two
Buy on Amazon2003
New Poems Book Three
Buy on Amazon2003
New Poems Book Four
Buy on Amazon2003
The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain
Buy on Amazon2003
Come On In!
Buy on Amazon2006
The People Look Like Flowers At Last
Buy on Amazon2007
The Pleasures of the Damned
Buy on Amazon2007
Portions from a Wine-Stained Notebook
Buy on Amazon2008
The Continual Condition
Buy on Amazon2009
Absence of the Hero
Buy on Amazon2010
The Most Beautiful Woman in Town
Buy on Amazon2013
The Bell Tolls for No One
Buy on Amazon2015
Storm for the Living and the Dead
Buy on Amazon2017
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the Standalone series is publication order: 1. Post Office (1971), 2. Factotum (1975), 3. Women (1978), 4. Ham on Rye (1982), 5. Barfly (1983), and 47 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The Standalone series by Charles Bukowski contains 52 books. The series began in 1971 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The Standalone series is written by Charles Bukowski. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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