Photo of Charles Bukowski
Open Library

Charles Bukowski

1 series 10 books in order 9 standalone books

Henry Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer whose work was shaped by the geography and atmosphere of Los Angeles, focusing on the ordinary lives of poor Americans, writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and work. He wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of stories, and six novels; Time called him a "laureate of American lowlife" in 1986.

Born
1920
Known for
The Bandini Quartet

Series by Charles Bukowski

The Bandini Quartet

4 books in order · 1938–1982

  1. Cover of Wait until spring, Bandini

    Wait until spring, Bandini

    1938 · John Fante

    Svevo Bandini is a man who walks through the snow, clearly upset. He lives three blocks down the street and is very cold. His shoes have holes, which…

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  2. Cover of The road to Los Angeles

    The road to Los Angeles

    Year unknown · John Fante

    The narrator worked many jobs in Los Angeles Harbor due to financial hardship after his father's death. His first job was ditchdigging shortly after…

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  3. Cover of Ask the dust

    Ask the dust

    1939 · Charles Bukowski

    Arturo Bandini is a struggling writer living in a run-down hotel in Los Angeles. After having a short story published in a small magazine, he meets…

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  4. Cover of Dreams from Bunker Hill

    Dreams from Bunker Hill

    1982 · John Fante

    Dreams from Bunker Hill is a first-person account beginning with the narrator's early brush with fame as a busboy at Marx's Deli in 1934, at Third…

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Standalone books

Frequently asked questions

How many books has Charles Bukowski written?

We list 10 books by Charles Bukowski across 1 series, published between 1938–1983 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Charles Bukowski's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Wait until spring, Bandini.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Charles Bukowski's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Bibliography and reading orders compiled from verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.