Post office
a novel
by Charles Bukowski · first published 1974
62% recommend38% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Darkly funny, semi-autobiographical novel of drudgery at the post office and a life of irresponsibility. Appeals to readers who want a raw take on work and who like Bukowski's voice.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2013–2026Love Is a Dog from Hell
Charles Bukowski
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 33 recommend · 3 mention3 recommend · 33 recommend
2017–2024Factotum
Charles Bukowski
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 83 recommend · 8 mention3 recommend · 83 recommend
2013–2026The Crow Road
Iain Banks
Recommended by 13 · mentioned by 2013 recommend · 20 mention13 recommend · 2013 recommend
2010–2022Hunger
Knut Hamsun
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 108 recommend · 10 mention8 recommend · 108 recommend
2012–2025A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 119 recommend · 11 mention9 recommend · 119 recommend
2008–2024The worldly philosophers
Robert L. Heilbroner
Recommended by 17 · mentioned by 1817 recommend · 18 mention17 recommend · 1817 recommend
2007–2025Naming and necessity
Saul A. Kripke
Recommended by 12 · mentioned by 2012 recommend · 20 mention12 recommend · 2012 recommend
2011–2026Early Retirement Extreme
Jacob Lund Fisker
Recommended by 15 · mentioned by 2315 recommend · 23 mention15 recommend · 2315 recommend
Hunger by Knut Hamsun, Wait Until Spring by John Fante, Post Office by Charles Bukowski, The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary, The Outsider by Colin Wilson, The Price of Greatness by Arnold M. Ludwig, Touched With Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison Just off the top of my head…
on “Ask HN: Books That Should Be Read” ↗I'm not sure what "fundamentally" means in this context, but these certainly made a lasting impact upon my young mind: Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter Dune by Frank Herbert Post Office by Charles Bukowski V. by Thomas Pynchon Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Pretty much everything by JL Borges
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗…about penguins or the aurora australis. Well-intentioned but bad advice is pernicious. You can't go wrong spending your days doing something that matters to you. If you haven't read it, I recommend Post Office by Charles Bukowski. [0] https://www.mrmoneymustache.com [1] JL Collins: The Simple Path to Wealth
on “Ask HN: How did you escape your safe 9-5 job?” ↗The Mist - Stephen King Cannery Row - Joseph Steinbeck Post Office - Charles Bukowski Dracula - Bram Stoker
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗…in addition to computers he wrote about cats, going to the track, drinking and other things his life. I remember riding the train from Dresden to Prague and the person next to us was reading his novel Post Office which is a wonderful story of irresponsibility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_(novel)
on “16-bit Intel 8088 chip (c. 1985)” ↗Post Office by Charles Bukowski
on “What's the most radical book you've read?” ↗I might have read a bunch of books and articles about work, but the biggest lessons I've learned are from Bukowski. The Post Office and Factotum are two of my favorite books. Here are a few quotes from Factotum that I really liked: ~~ “Look,” I said, “these books aren’t worth reading let alone arguing about.” “All right,” one of…
on “Charles Bukowski: The Slavery of the 9 to 5” ↗Read Bukowski’s „Post Office”. In his account, working in the post office, or as a mailman in the field, was hell.
on “Floyd Martin retires after nearly 35 years as a mailman tomorrow” ↗Read good fiction. Jack Kerouac - On The Road Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse-Five Charles Bukowski - Post Office
on “Ask HN: What book should I buy for my 18th birthday?” ↗As for comedy in books, I find Bukowski - Post Office to be quite hilarious at times.
on “David Foster Wallace’s final attempt to make art moral” ↗I was a young postal worker, temporarily flunked out of university, when I first read Bukowski. The Post Office of course. Aside from some postal technicalities it was less reflective of day to day in the postal world than Star Wars or Mission Impossible. I loved it and was hooked on his writing for life anyway.
on “Charles Bukowski, William Burroughs, and the Computer (2009)” ↗Iain Banks - Excession - 5 stars and the most optimistic series on AI Dungeon Crawler Card - Not for me but I might give it another chance Bukowski - Post Office - Worth reading, Gen-Z might get triggered
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗“It began as a mistake.“ Post Office - Bukowski
on “What makes a great opening line?” ↗…how "all the poems in the New Yorker are bad." I think the last contemporary poet that I liked was Charles Bukowski [1] but even as a (not quite super) fan I think you don't need more than a copy of Post Office (an early novel of his) and one volume of his poems because from beginning to end his poems were about drinking alcohol, taking care of his cats, loose women, and gambling at the track. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bukowski
on “Only bad poems go viral” ↗…2015 2- The crowd, a study of the popular mind by Gustave Le Bon. Jan, 10th 2015 3- Remote by Jason Fried. Jan, 11th 2015 4- The shape of the world to come by Laurent Cohen-Tanugi, Jan, 20th, 2015 5- Post office by Charles Bukowski. Jan, 23rd 2015 6- Gang leader for a day by Sudhir Venkatesh. Feb, 6th 2015 7- Zen mind, beginner's mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Feb, 8th 2015 8- The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗