It depends, IMO, whether the long tome has really grabbed my interest fully, because I do a lot of reading in bed in the wee hours of the morning and the books can get awfully heavy, causing aching wrists. Two that were well worth it, in my opinion, however, were "The Historian" and "The Shadow of the Wind."

Exactly why World Without End is waiting for my extended time off in December...It's a nice heavy, thick book, and I will enjoy it as break during Christmas preparations, and post Christmas, by the Christmas tree with a fire burning, and cookies to eat with my coffee.

I like long books, too, if they are good. I can't tell you how many of the Cynthia Harrod-Eagles The Morland Dynasty books I read during the long, grey days of last February, one right after the other like eating peanuts.

Welcome Maxmom. Glad to have you here.

A few of my most favorite LONG books were:
The Historian
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
The Harry Potters
Anthony Adverse
Sarum
Russka
London

And I am sure there are others, but I can't seem to think of the titles at the moment!

PAM

I definitely concur with many of the books already mentioned, particularly Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and The Shadow of the Wind.

I would add The Terror by Dan Simmons to the list. I'm sure there are others, but my mind is blank just when I need it most. Unfortunately, that's nothing new.

I wonder what qualifies as a loooong book? I truly enjoyed War and Peace, Quo Vadis, and am now reading In This House of Brede, but maybe those don't meet the standard of long books?

Glad you have decided to post, maxmom!

I used to enjoy reading looooong books, now tho I find myself most comfortable with ones under 400 pages. Otherwise I tend to get distracted and push aside the bigger book. I would say its getting older, but seeing as you are a few decades older than me, I guess I can't use that excuse :)

I don't notice how long a book is if it's a good book, but I've read some 300-page books that I swear are longer than some 1000-page books.

Someone said to me the other day, "Heavens, that's a long book!" talking about Juliet Barker's The Brontes. Pagewise I guess it is, but I've read it a half dozen times. Likewise, I didn't realize The Historian and The Terror and Quo Vadis are long books. Ditto Gone With the Wind, Ross Lockridge's Raintree County, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, and Helen Hooven Santmyer's "...and Ladies of the Club".

On the other hand, the last one third of The Poisonwood Bible made its 576 pages (in my edition) interminable.

Agreed, friedag, content is everything! I suppose an attraction of a really loooong, wonderful book is that one can spend plenty of time indulging in the joy of reading without the threat of the book ending before we are ready to let the story go.

Of course, that is assuming the author has put a definitive end to the book. Patrick O'Brian, author of the "Master and Commander" series, did not put a definitive closing to most of his books. They weren't ended in the style of the 'continuing saga', either. The central action of the story was always completed, but often the endings were simple declarative sentences, after which many a "What? Oh no!" was uttered by me.

I have heard of Santmyers" "...and the Ladies of the Club" but have not read it. That may have to go on my Christimas list...

Welcome, Maxmom. Happy to have you join in the conversation.

Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, three volumes, is nearly 3000 pages. The first volume, Quicksilver has been published in paperbacks as 3 more manageable novels. It is a romance in the classic sense of grand adventure and focuses on Isaac Newton, a vagabond, and a rescued slave girl. Great fun, believe it or not. His Cryptonomicon is also wonderfully full of adventure and long.

On the epic fantasy front, and completely transcending the genre, is George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice, the first volume of which is A Game of Thrones. Martin manages to break my heart and charm me at the same time.

Ditto on The Historian, Shadow of the Wind, and Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I've re-read Rise and Fall at least 3 times (I first read it when I was in my early 20s) and Shadow has been re-read at least twice.

Oh, and call me old-fashioned but I liked James Clavell's massive books from the 70s. Shogun has always been a worthy re-read for me as well as Noble House and Tai-Pan. I think I've read all three at least 3 times. The first two DEFINITELY qualify as long reads. The third .... not so much.

And, in case you're wondering, I actually DO read new books - once in a while. ;-)

Oh, an Anthony Adverse fan. I remember really liking that book, but haven's read it in years. Might have to reread it soon.

Lonesome Dove, Kristin Lavransdattur trilogy and James Michener's books come to mind for me.

I read Studs Lonigan in junior high school and thought nothing about how long it was. I am now trying to remember whatever it was that led me to it?

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about Studs Lonigan. That WAS a good one.

And my grandmother gave me her Anthony Adverse. I was about 20. It was falling apart. Literally. A rubber band held the book together and I had to read it at a table so the pages wouldn't fall out. It was a great story but the book was awful - the worst condition I had ever seen in a book, even to this day. I finished the book and my grandmother and I talked about it for weeks and weeks. I threw the book out, which she advised me to do. She passed away about six years ago and now I wish I still had that ratty ol' book.

PAM

Thank you for your warm welcome.

Yes, it certainly does depend on the content, whether the book just seems long, or actually is. That goes without saying, and I suppose that's why I feel so free now in quitting a book if I am not enjoying the read.

Loved thyrkas' comment ". . .one can spend plenty of time indulging in the joy of reading without the threat of the book ending before we are ready to let the story go." That expresses my feeling exactly. Thank you, thyrkas.

I've read and enjoyed almost all of Michener's books and a few of Rutherfurd's books and they all qualify as looooong for me.

Never heard of Kristin Lavrandattur, but her triolgy sounds intriguing (if not daunting).

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.

maxmom, Kristin Lavrandattur is one of those books that I should love - its got medieval history and culture, and takes place in a totally different place than I live. But try as I might I haven't been able to get into it. Many have tho, and many love that work, so do check it out

>but I've read some 300-page books that I swear are longer than some 1000-page books.

Oh, no question. I do tend to avoid door stoppers tho lately, perhaps with the idea that there just isn't enough time and I can usually read three or four 300 pagers for one 1000. But thats not really the point, is it. :)

maxmom, We at RP not so long ago had a fruitful discussion on "Kristin Lavransdatter". You might want to try to find it, a few threads back. Those of us who read it were thoroughly engaged, for the most part. I even read it twice!

I am not a big person for long books - I find them to be too intimidating for me. I wish they would come in volumes. I am interested in reading some of the longer books (Gone with the Wind, The Historian, And the Ladies of the Club etc) but their length is way too long for me. Why don't they come in volumes?

:-)

I loved the Historian and Pillars of the Earth and am currently reading World Without End. Although, Historian didn't seem that long. Poisonwood Bible I didn't think was a very long book, but it sure seemed long, I had a hard time getting into it.

If you enjoy time travel don't miss Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series ( 5 books, each one a long read!)

Favorite Loooooong Books:

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys
Atlas Shrugged by Any Rand
Anything by James Michner, but especially Hawaii
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (out of respect!)

I like books that are the right length to fit the story. Sometimes that is 1400 pages, and sometimes that is 200. Unfortunate it is when the author guesses wrong.

RF