The Next Best Book Club discussion

I've tried to compile a list of some of the longest books ever published. http://www.freepaperbook.com/some-of-... . These books have also been best sellers and liked by many.

Some of those are already on my list to read, and others will be added. Thanks for the list. :)

I've read Les Miserables, War and Peace and A suitable boy - of the three I preferred A Suitable Boy.

N wrote: "I've read Les Miserables, War and Peace and A suitable boy - of the three I preferred A Suitable Boy."

A suitable boy is definitely a book not to miss, it's long but still captivating

Infinite Jest is something i am looking forward to read.

I want to read war and peace. It sounds really good!

I made it through War and Peace, but I wouldn't put it in my top 100.

A long and popular book was The Stand by Stephen King.

cool

Many big name Postmodern writers were trying to write long, dense, encyclopedic novels: Gaddis's The Recognitions, Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, Barth's Sot-weed Factor, DeLillo's Underworld, Power's Gold Bug Variations. Infinite Jest is part of this list (or postmodern tradition)

Are any of these popular, though?

Stephen King's The Stand. One of my favorites but it has ruined me for much of his later work.

I loved The Count of Monte Cristo. It's dang long.

I love Les Miserable rather it is the novel, musical, movie, etc. I also agree The Stand by Stephen king. another favorite of mine are The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

I've not really read much of the better known books, what's a suitable boy about? And Obviously I've heard of war and peace but is it a good book?

Sara ♥ wrote: "I loved The Count of Monte Cristo. It's dang long."
I second that emotion. It's one of my absolute favorite novels of all time and the performance on Audible is quite good. It makes a great value for one credit!

Jessica wrote: "I've not really read much of the better known books, what's a suitable boy about? And Obviously I've heard of war and peace but is it a good book?"

Suitable boy is a post freedom Novel set in India - and how traditions and culture in aristocratic families was used as an excuse to maintain wealth and power. A girls struggle to live life on her own terms - to choose a suitable grrom for herself rather than a one chosen by her family.

Suraj wrote: suitable boy is a post freedom Novel set in India - and how traditions....

Thanks Suraj!

And it's also about love, life, family, unity, betrayal, heartbreak and joy. Plus in my none Indian capacity as a reader an insight into life and rules, tradition and beliefs in Indian culture. Facinating but not a patch on A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. In fact I'd say all three books Les Miserables, War and Peace and a Suitable Boy are very similar in the depth and details of characters and have a similar theme of happiness and struggle from very different view points and points in History. War and Peace a families struggle with War and it's effects but a basic story of humanity, Les Miserables is an ensemble cast dealing with the after effects of Rebellion and War.

What about sagas like The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy, The Dukays by Lajos Zilahy, In Search of a Lost Time by Marcel Proust, Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokov, The Gulag Archipelago by Alexandr Solzhenitsyn... there are more surely that I don't know of

Also some of the long ones The Karamazov Brothers by Dostoyevsky, The Arabian Nights, In the First Circle by Solzhenitsyn


Not to forget the 4 classic Chinese novels ( Water Margin, Romance of Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Dream of the Read Chamber ), they are immense and they remain my wish to read in future, if i ever find them in the first place, pretty much the same goes for Solzhenitsyn all I can fin of him is a One Day of Life of Ivan Denisovich

most of them are i guess series or published in more than 1 volume that is why they are not mentioned here.

Suraj wrote: "most of them are i guess series or published in more than 1 volume that is why they are not mentioned here."

OK, still good to know about them...
I remembered one more Ulysses by James Joyce if it's not already mentioned

Middlemarch is great.
War and Peace is OK although the essay sections are dull.
Les Mis is great.
Sarum: A novel of England...wonderful.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is around 700 pages. I have yet to read it because of the length but I have read the synopsis and its definitely up my alley.

Under the Dome by Stephen King is in the 1000s and I think if i wanted to read this I would stick to the mini series on tv.

The Historian is a good book, I'm honestly shocked that it's that long?!? I read it years ago and I would have just sais it was 'normal length', 700 pages? Really?

I agree that War and Peace was something I was very happy to have finished and can wear the 'I survived' T-shirt!

Stephen King books like the Stand are so epic that the length is necessary :)

The Historian is 752 pages to be exact. Don't get me wrong when your really into a book sometimes one tends to overlook such lengths but that to me is too much. I'm a big Vlad the Impaler fan. but not sure if I can find time to dedicate for such a book. Perhaps at some point...

Yes definitely you are so right, when reading a great book you can't wait till the end yet you never want it to finish! Like I said good book but Dracula is so much better!

What about the Michener novels. They are pretty big but also way good.

War and Peace is my favorite novel, but I do have a soft spot for Michener's large tomes.