Saturday, May 07, 2016

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

10 Best Long Books

18 comments:

Rick Robinson said...

I guess I expected WAR AND PEACE to be there.

Jeff Meyerson said...

I guess his tastes and mine do not coincide much.

...a greatest-hits compilation of every postmodern narrative device you can think of—it is first and foremost an artifact: a typographical labyrinth that you read with your body as much as your brain.

It would be hard to think of a book I'd be less interested in reading.

Jeff Meyerson said...

I've read a few of these - at least I read an abridged version of THE TALE OF GENJI rather than the 1216 page version. I did like THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK when I read it 40 years ago.

I'd go with SHOGUN and BLEAK HOUSE, personally.

Unknown said...

I was surprised WAR AND PEACE wasn't on the list, Rick. I like Jeff's suggestion, having read both of those.

Jeff Meyerson said...

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
LONESOME DOVE
It's been a long while since I read it, but maybe Michener's HAWAII (or THE SOURCE)

Jeff Meyerson said...

I read an abridged version of WAR AND PEACE in high school and liked it, but I've always wanted to read the full version. I have it on the Kindle but (probably needless to say) I haven't started it. I mean to read MIDDLEMARCH too, someday.

Deb said...

The writer doesn't seem aware that before the 1900s most novels were serialized and tended to be very long. Anyway, IMHO, 600 pages is not THAT long.

And where is GONE WITH THE WIND?

I've had HOUSE OF LEAVES on my tbr list for a while. Has anyone read it? What did you think? Also, I think I mentioned I found Roberto Bolano's 2666 for a buck at the FotL sale. The three volumes together are over 800 pages. Anyone know if that's worth a read?

Unknown said...

Haven't read those, Deb, and probably won't. I've heard nothing but good things about another multi-volume novel, A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME, but it's too late for me to begin that one. I had a friend in grad school who loved the books written up to that time. I should've started then.

Jeff Meyerson said...

I read the Anthony Powell DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME series back to back to... about 40 years ago. (I'm not home to check the dates but it was around the time book 12 was published here.) I bought the paperbacks when they came out in four volumes of three books each to reread...some day.

Don Coffin said...

I would note that The Lord of the Rings was written (and was intended by Tolkien) as a single volume. His publisher split into 3 volumes for commercial reasons. So I always think of it as a single book.

Unknown said...

And that's one I've read.

Deb said...

If I'm involved in the story, I never notice the length of the book. Otoh, a book of 149 pages can drag if it doesn't grab me.

Jeff Meyerson said...

A Dance to the Music of Time. I guess I really got wrapped up in it, as I read the books on 3/26, 4/1-2-3-5-6-8-10-11-13-15, 1975, with book 12 on May 5.

I also read THE MAGUS, several mysteries, and a couple of plays in the first half of April.

I miss the old days.

Unknown said...

Gotta love the record keepers of the world.

Dan_Luft said...

Yikes, no Dostoevsky?

Bud said...

Meyerson & Luft, echo 8-)

Steve Oerkfitz said...

Hated House of Leaves. Would have chosen Lonesome Dove, From Here to Eternity and Dahlgren.

Gerard said...

0 for 10.

I've pondered on starting DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME but never got to it.