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I love long books! There's something magical about being in one fictional world for an extended period of time. It's both exciting and comforting. You feel at home with the setting and characters. Also, conquering a fat bastard book gives you bragging rights. Feeling superior to others is always fun.
Here are the 10 longest books I've read. Were they worth the time and effort? A few of them are the middle books in series, so I'll do my best to avoid spoilers.
😲 Long Books (And If They Suck) 📏
A Storm Of Swords by George R.R. Martin
A Song Of Ice And Fire #3
Adult Fantasy
1,177 Pages
The third volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
Was it worth it? Yes! Do you remember the Game Of Thrones TV show? Were you just as obsessed with it as I was? This is the book series that inspired the show! I love the books because they're full of plot twists, intricate world building, and characters I'll never forget. I'm sad that the author will probably never finish the series, but I adore the books he gave us.
It by Stephen King
Adult Horror
1,090 Pages
Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.
They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them to reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers.
Was it worth it? Kind of. It's not my favorite Stephen King book, but it's also not my least favorite. I mostly remember the ending because a bunch of 11-year-old kids have an orgy. WTF Stephen King? Did we really need to read that? I hated the orgy, but I found the kids relatable. Their story is about friendship and how adversity brings people together. They team up to defeat the biggest bully in town: an evil sewer clown.
A Clash Of Kings by George R.R. Martin
A Song Of Ice And Fire #2
Adult Fantasy
1,009 Pages
In this eagerly awaited sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any you have ever experienced.
Was it worth it? Yep. Can I just repeat what I said about A Storm Of Swords? I wish the author would finish the series because it's so imaginative! I want to know what happens to my favorite characters.
The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett
Kingsbridge #1
Adult Historical Fiction
976 Pages
Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.
Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters: into their dreams, their labors, and their loves.
The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.
Was it worth it? Yes! The author is not great at writing female characters, but I could overlook that problem because I enjoyed everything else. It's a book about building a cathedral in the Middle Ages, which sounds boring, but I promise it doesn't suck! Actually, it's a lot like Game of Thrones without dragons and zombies. It starts with a mason searching for a job and then keeps sprawling outward until it's about a whole town. There's a new plot twist every few chapters. I can tell that the author was originally a thriller writer. Nothing goes right for these characters. I couldn't put the book down.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Adult Classic
963 Pages
Anna is a sophisticated woman who abandons her empty existence as the wife of Karenin and turns to Count Vronsky to fulfil her passionate nature—with tragic consequences.
Was it worth it? Maybe? I guess it was okay. It's about upper-class Russians in the 1800s who are struggling with how empty and phony their lives feel. Their public appearance is more important to them than their happiness.
After reading several Russian classics, I've come to the conclusion that Russians in the 1800s were very bored. This book is like a soap opera. There are a ton of characters, and they all have massive amounts of angst. It takes a lot of concentration to remember how everybody is connected. There are a lot of tedious political conversations. I struggled with the book at first, but I liked it more as I got deeper into the drama.
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Adult Classic
912 Pages
George Eliot’s most ambitious novel is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community. Peopling its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfillment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the pedantic scholar Casaubon; the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose pioneering medical methods, combined with an imprudent marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamond, threaten to undermine his career; and the religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding scandalous crimes from his past. As their stories interweave, George Eliot creates a richly nuanced and moving drama.
Was it worth it? Mostly. It's one of the more readable books that college forced upon me. Unlike a lot of classics, I didn't have to rely on Google to tell me what was happening in the plot. It's a complex story about marriage, politics, gender roles, and gossip in a small English town. The first few hundred pages are very slow, but the pace picks up toward the end. The last few hundred pages are great. There are a lot of storylines, and it is impossible to predict the endings to all of them.
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter #5
Young Adult Fantasy
912 Pages
Harry Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike most schoolboys, Harry never enjoys his summer holidays, but this summer is even worse than usual. The Dursleys, of course, are making his life a misery, but even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, seem to be neglecting him.
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down.
Was it worth it? It was worth it for me. I grew up with this series, and it was a massive part of my childhood and teenage years. I spent a huge chunk of my life waiting impatiently for the next Harry Potter book to come out. I made real-life friends because of this series. It meant a lot to me as a young bookworm.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Adult Literary Fiction
897 Pages
On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, my twin brother, Thomas, entered the Three Rivers, Connecticut, public library, retreated to one of the rear study carrels, and prayed to God the sacrifice he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable. . . .
Was it worth it? Oprah thinks it's worth it. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to disagree with Oprah. If you can handle depressing "tragedy porn" novels, then this one is excellent. Just be aware that every bad thing that can happen to a person will happen in this book. I think anyone with siblings can relate to the love/hate relationship between the brothers in the story. All of the characters are amazingly well-developed and realistic.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove #1
Adult Historical Fiction
858 Pages
Journey to the dusty little Texas town of Lonesome Dove and meet an unforgettable assortment of heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers. Richly authentic, beautifully written, always dramatic.
Was it worth it? Eventually. I really struggled to get interested in this book. There are a lot of characters, and they spend 100s of pages stealing, whoring, and yapping. There wasn't much in it to capture my attention. Then the action picked up, and I was suddenly hooked. I don't even know what hooked me! Maybe I was just happy that the plot finally started? Or there was more time for character development once the men got away from the whores? Who knows. I enjoyed the ending. It's funny and sad. The friendships between the men are believable. You really get the sense that these people have known each other for decades, and this is going to be their final adventure. The friendships make the book worth reading.
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
The Dark Tower #7
Adult Fantasy
845 Pages
The seventh and final installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.
Was it worth it? Ultimately, yes. The Dark Tower series is a mixed bag. Some of the books are thrilling and scary. Some of the books are complete slogs. Overall, I enjoyed the series. You fall in love with the characters over the course of 6 books, and then you have a sense of dread while reading the 7th because this is Stephen King. He's not going to let everybody live!
Someday I should read The Dark Tower.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten Tuesday.
I still have to start The Dark Tower books at some point.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently slowly working my way through Ash which is a chunker too. I will conquer this thing.
Anna Karenina is one I've actually read a few times. It's worth it, but yes, it does get bogged down in a lot of unnecessary details. Follett's books are always worth it! Definitely the Game of Thrones books are, too.
ReplyDeleteA Storm of Swords is my favorite of the series, the plot twist are amazing
ReplyDeleteI've been reading more shorter books lately as I feel like I don't have the attention span for big chonky books anymore, but I have heard great things about the A Song of Ice and Fire books! (And I did love the TV show)
ReplyDeleteI’ll make it to the Dark Tower too eventually, one day. Would like to try it and, umm, It.
ReplyDeleteI read It a gazillion years ago and possibly The Stand back when I was reading Stephen King. I haven't found any big books that I have wanted to read in quite a while.
ReplyDeleteVery clever idea for a list! I've read Middlemarch, and really liked it. And I've always wanted to read It, though I don't gravitate to really long books any more. I think the two longest books I've read is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Stephen King's The Stand. And they were both worth it. :D
ReplyDeleteYou are a reading beast. I stopped reading fantasy because the books were too long. I never realized how long the HP books were. That's great that kids could be captivated enough to read that many pages.
ReplyDeleteI've read three of these: LONESOME DOVE, MIDDLEMARCH, and HP AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. I loved LONESOME DOVE the first time I read it years ago, but I re-read it last year and it was just okay for me. It drags in a lot of places. MIDDLEMARCH was a slog. I read it in college and that's about all I remember of it. All of the HP books are worth it in my opinion, too! Fun idea for a list.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Hahaha I love this! I went the same direction as you this week and featured chonky books! I even featured the same authors as you; GRRM and Stephen King, because they've got the best chonks! And I also had Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True. What is that saying about great minds? 😎
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are long books. I didn’t realize that any of the Harry Potter books were that long. No wonder it took me forever and a day to read them.
ReplyDeleteI've read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and have no recollection of it being so long - that's the sign of a great book! =)
ReplyDeleteBut I'm still intimidated by 600+ pages books. I think that one was easier probably because it was already part of a series that I was so invested in.
This is the second chonky book list I've seen posted for this week's theme, and I love it. I too love reading a fat bastard and then bragging about it afterwards because the sense of accomplishment is great. I hope you have a fabulous week. - Katie
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT if you wish to visit - https://justanothergirlandherbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-brags-and.html
This is such a fun thing to think about! The longest book I've read is also Order of the Phoenix, which flew by, and that's followed by the Iliad which was read for school but I actually quite enjoyed :D
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Oprah on many things, it's not illegal! I'm anxious for the 7th dark tower too 😂 thanks for dropping by my post! - Athena @ OneReadingNurse
ReplyDelete