Longest book you've ever read.

[Guinivere]

I think I posted here before and I believe I wrote either The Bible (which I suppose isn't one but many books) or Tolstoi's War and Peace.
But I recently finished Milton's Paradise Lost, which at least felt like the longest thing I'd ever read. Honestly I think I'll wait a decade or two before I start on Paradise Found. Wondefully crafted but long neverthless.

[Bitterfly]

I would say "In Search of Lost Time" by Proust, if you combine all six volumes it is close to 3000 pages.. and then "Les Miserables" and "War and Peace" and "Gargantua and Pantagruel"

Seven volumes for the Search of Lost Time (but maybe you're leaving out the most boring one - La prisonnière :D ).
And you can add Le Tiers Livre, Le Quart Livre and Le Cinquième Livre to Pantagruel's adventures (I haven't read them, personally - stopped a the first two).

I think my longest must have been the three volumes of the Lord of the Rings or maybe War and peace. But I'm very intrigued now about the works of Adolf Wolfli, so I'll have to go to Berne to read all his pages :p (thank you wikipedia).

[islandclimber]

Yes of course, seven volumes haha... I forgot about that.. I read it a few years and I always think it is 6 volumes for some reason :p

I have read the first 3 volumes of G&P. the last two I never found a copy of (well to be honest I may have not put that much effort in :p) so I gave up.. I think I have seen all 5 online recently though.. so maybe I can go back to it again..

[Dark Muse]

I cannot recall what the longest book I have completed was. But right now I am reading Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind and The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, and I cannot decide between the two of them which one is fatter but they are both tremendously thick. And both these books are the longest within each of their series, so of course I would end up reading them at the same time.

[hellsapoppin]

Bible : 1500 pages

Shogun (Clavell) : 1200 pages

Noble House (Clavell) : 1390 pages

Les Miserables (Hugo) : 1490 pages

[eyemaker]

I'm not sure really, but I guess the last book which really take me aback was Tolstoy's W&P.

[andave_ya]

In no particular order,

The Bible
Lord of the Rings
Crime and Punishment
Anna Karenina
The Brothers Karamazov
Don Quixote
The Complete Illustrated Strand Sherlock Holmes

and currently, Les Miserables.

[DeadAsDreams]

The Stand, also the biggest waste of my life, ever.

[optimisticnad]

A long book for me would be something badly written, dull, flat lifeless characters and a pain to read however long or short it may be. I can think of plenty of books like that, e.g the da vinci code.

[Guinivere]

I remember reading a biography on Queen Elisabeth I by someone named Cornelia Wussowski (or something like that, can't be bothered to look it up). I think that was about 1000 pages.

[hellsapoppin]

The Complete Illustrated Strand Sherlock Holmes


1400 pages! How could I have forgotten!!

[Geheris]

For interest and for sharpening my grasp upon the world around me, I read an Oxford history book from cover to cover, which dealt primarily with Classical Greece and Rome, and the book stood at just over a 1000 pages.

[Jilvin]

For fiction, i've read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1168 pages), War and Peace by Tolstoy (1388 pages), The Stand by Stephen King, uncut version (1233 pages), and The Bible (1152 pages in my version)

For non-fiction, the prize winner is "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory" by Stephen Jay Gould, at 1343 pages, or the extended special edition of "The Descent of Man" at 1135 pages.

[Gretchen]

The Lord of the Rings

[Dr. Hill]

War and Peace.

[Paige19]

Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy. And I've read it three times!

[Emil Miller]

The longest book I have read was a 3 volume compendium of novels by Alphonse Daudet, the novels being: 1) Jack. 2) Le Nabab. 3) Les Rois en Exil.

The last two were brilliant but the first was contrived and padded to such an extent that when Daudet asked Flaubert his opinion of the story, Flaubert replied 'Trop de paperasse!' (Too much waste-paper).

The whole book including notes and appendices came to1512 pp.

[RG57]

Lord of the Rings, tried War and Peace didn't quite make it!

[Jason Lycurgus]

Probably Don Quixote

Other books have felt longer though.

[amles05]

lord of the rings

[DisPater]

joseph and his brothers by thomas mann (if I remeber well. but, also, may be other titles as well)

[miyagisan]

Either Atlas Shrugged or Shogun

[Jilvin]

EDIT:

I think I win for single volumes. I just finished the (rather interesting) Urantia Book. 2128 Pages, unbelievably thick. It's an extension of Christianity for extraterrestrial beings!

The Bible varies alot. It tends to be around 1000-1100 pages but i've seen as many as 1336 pages (Old and New Testament) and as little as 801 pages (Old and New Testament)

If anybody wants a real challenge, read the "Yongle Dadian" Chinese encyclopedia with 11095 volumes compiled by 3,000 chinese scholars in the early 15th century (about 1100 pages per volume)

[Viola Hathaway]

Both Don Quixote, by Cervantes, and Middlemarch, George Eliot, seemed to go on forever. My version of Don Quixote is only about an inch and a half thick, but the print is tiny. Middlemarch is heavy, in places, which may be why is took so long to finish.

[SandyBanks]

The longest books I've ever read, in no particular order :

- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, almost 1500 pages, paperback.

- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Pevear/Volokhonsky around 1200 pages, hardcover.

- Don Quixote by Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman, around 900 pages, paperback.

The longest series I've ever read is the Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin) series by Patrick O'Brian (almost 7000 pages in total).

I love them all. I guess I'm just a sucker for big fat books.

I've read the Bible cover to cover, but I won't count that since I skipped several tedious parts (the genealogies, laws etc.).

[Mag Master 21]

The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes... Hardcover, 1132 pages

There are a few hefty ones that are on my "to read" shelf, including In Search of Lost Time, which is considered the world's longest novel by Guinness (It's broken down into volumes, but I believe it's roughly 4,500 pages).

[JBI]

Hmm, maybe we can have an argument for Eliot's The Waste Land.

[miyagisan]

Atlas Shrugged is the longest for me, followed closely by James Clavell's Shogun. I've read Shogun thrice cover to cover, but AS was taxing to read once.

[Thespian1975]

Jonathon strange and Mr Norell - Susanna Clarke

I am currently on page 688 of 1006. She uses many pointless footnotes which pad it out a bit

It should have been cut by a ruthless editor to half it's size. :flare:

[dfloyd]

Captain Billy's Whizbang or Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang.

[semi-fly]

School:
Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, Vol. 3 by Robert Middlekauff
- 736pp

Leisure/Pleasure:
Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
- 1360pp

[promtbr]

There are a few hefty ones that are on my "to read" shelf, including In Search of Lost Time, which is considered the world's longest novel by Guinness (It's broken down into volumes, but I believe it's roughly 4,500 pages).

Which I am just starting to read...(after I finish the 900 page Marcel Proust a Life Biography...)

Any one care to join me reading Á La Recherche Du Temps Perdu ???

My Modern Library 6 volume Moncrief/Kilmartin/ Enright translated edition totals 4300 pages of pure Proustian bliss.

[adwara1]

Currently I am reading 'Les Miserables', its more than 1450 pages. I am at 600.

[rimbaud]

Les Miserables 1800pgs, but I loved it i read it 3 times

[Wilde woman]

Hmm, we're on a roll here.

Les Miserables. My edition had about 1400 pages.

[Redzeppelin]

Brothers Karamozov - a little under 1000 pages.

[Allannah]

War and Peace, about 1300 pages.

[aitooh]

The most recent long book I've read is "The Gulag Archipelago" by A. Solzhenitsyn (really interesting).
Some others are "The Brothers Karamazov" (one of my all-time favourites), "War and Peace", "Les miserables" (didn't like it), "Don Quixote".

[jessw]

Mine would have to be All The Pretty Horses By: Cormack McCarthy.

[Infinitefox]

Romance of the three kingdoms, which was 2000 pages.

[rimbaud]

Hmm, we're on a roll here.

Les Miserables. My edition had about 1400 pages.

mine was in 5 books X 350 pgs


Brothers Karamozov - a little under 1000 pages.

:S mine was 1050 :S
there is something wrong with my language
everything is longer!
hahaha

[canned_dice]

I remember feeling so discouraged when I began Les Miserables. I also remember feeling really accomplished after I finished :D

[electricpenguin]

So far: LOTR.

All you Les Miserables people - I take it it's worth the long read?!?

EP :)

[Lynne Fees]

Michner may not be as long as some of these authors above, but it sure seems like it.

Yes, some of his are as long as War and Peace, I'm sure. They are good for long vacation reading.

[naphelge]

Wow! So many lengthy books out there. I am quite a light weight reader, and getting through Great Expectations seemed to take me quite a while (referring to the glossary regularly and re-reading many parts to try and understand what I was reading). Actually after the first 200 pages, the reading went a lot faster for me as I became somewhat more comfortable with the style of Dickens' writing.

What a great thread for me; a good list of books I don't need to jump into anytime soon ;P~

cheers,
nap

[higley]

I don't remember how many pages my copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has, but it's a lot. ;) They flew by though as I got into the story.

[MissScarlett]

If I can count all the volumes of A la recherche du temps perdu, then that's the one.

[Madhuri]

Suitable Boy -- Vikram Seth

It was 1000 or more pages

[MissScarlett]

Suitable Boy -- Vikram Seth

It was 1000 or more pages

I love that book! I love the characters.

[Scheherazade]

Suitable Boy -- Vikram Seth

It was 1000 or more pagesMy edition was 1480 pages, I think, and I really enjoyed reading it too.

[MissScarlett]

My edition was 1480 pages, I think, and I really enjoyed reading it too.

I think mine was about that, too, and I couldn't believe it could be interesting for that many pages, but it was. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the world of that book.

[Tsuyoiko]

Lots. Anna Karenina, Brothers Karamazov, Lord of the Rings, Don Quixote, The Divine Comedy. I'm reading The Idiot at the moment.


I don't remember how many pages my copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has, but it's a lot. ;) They flew by though as I got into the story.

I have that on my bookshelf in hardback edition. The size is putting me off a bit as I like to carry the book I'm reading with me :blush:

[Zee.]

The longest book I have ever read would have to be the most boring book i have ever read, and that was only about 200 pages long.

[Uberzensch]

Unfortunately, Atlas Shrugged.

However, I'm about 800 pages into the Count of Monte Cristo, so that will be my new longest.

Even then, I hope to follow that with Les Miserables.

[blp]

Unfortunately, Atlas Shrugged.


:lol:

Probably The Alexandria Quartet. Or maybe that's just the same length as most of the other long books I've read.

[Janine]

Les Miserables ~ Victor Hugo....I read the 4 or 5 book set and it was amazing....best book I have ever read. It was quite long, but worth reading the unabridged version, which was lent to me by a friend. I would highly recommend it.

[grotto]

The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

[dfloyd]

The Brothers Karamazov, Les Miserables, Gone with the Wind, War and Peace, The Count of Monte Cristo, Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend, Of Human Bondage, The Peloponesion War ... these are books everyone who loves literature should read.

[Snowqueen]

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, surely a classic novel.

[DanielBenoit]

Probably Les Miserables. I'm planning to read Proust's In Search of Lost Time, and have already been through Swann's Way.

Btw, just as a little fun fact, the longest novel ever written is Henry Darger's The Story of the Two Vivian Girls, it's over 14,000 pages.

[baudolino]

Tolstoy - "War and Peace"
Proust - "In search.."
Hugo - "Les miserables"

Petru Dumitriu - "Family Chronicle" ~2000 pages; a Romanian novel spanning 100 years, from the last half of 19th century, narrating the history of a Boyard family; an ambitious book, with the author clearly influenced by Tolstoi, Balzac and Proust.

[stlukesguild]

just as a little fun fact, the longest novel ever written is Henry Darger's The Story of the Two Vivian Girls, it's over 14,000 pages.

Not even close... and already discussed earlier:


14,000 pages... that's a bit too long for a sexual fantasy... especially of the under-aged variety such as Darger's book is.:eek2: It also has lot's of pictures. Even at that its not near as long as Adolf Wolfli's epic autobiographical fantasy... the one in which he started out as good ol' Adolf Wolfli... became King Wolfli... then became Emperor Wolfli... and finally Saint Wolfli. That stretched some 45 volumes and covered some 25,000 pages:eek: ... including a couple thousand pages illuminated with images as ornately detailed and fantastic as the finest illuminated manuscripts.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/Stlukesguild/49_2_copy1_lg.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/Stlukesguild/62_copy1_lg.jpg

More on this subject from earlier posts:


A few more Wolflis:

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/Stlukesguild/01.gif

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/Stlukesguild/04.gif

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/Stlukesguild/wolflibook-1.jpg

Unfortunately it will be a good many years before anything approaching a complete facsimile edition of Wolfli's book exists. I wish it were otherwise, but it will certainly be decades, if not longer, before the whole is properly documented and recorded and given anything approaching facsimile form. There are certainly any number of books on Wolfli's work as a whole, but I doubt that either Darger's or Wolfli's works will be really given the appropriate study for what they were as a whole for quite some time. Hell... they haven't even gotten through the entire trunk-cache of Fernado Pessoa's work yet... or even the whole of what exists of Thomas Traherne's writings. And then there's William Blake! Unfortunately... just as with most of Blake's works... Wolfli's tome is no longer a whole self-contained work. It's worth far more to the greedy jacka** dealers if they split up such works and sell them off piece-meal to the highest bidders with little or no concern for the impact upon culture or the artist's intentions. Look at the recent incident involving Blake:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/ar...=1&oref=slogin

And then there's this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marienbad_My_Love

[OrphanPip]

The page length varies so much from edition to edition. Anyway, I think it would be the standard bricks for me too. War and Peace, Anna Karenina, David Copperfield (my edition is an obscene 1262 pages), and The Brothers Karamazov have to be amongst the longest books I've read.

[mal4mac]

Recently - Montaigne's Essays (1283 pages)

The RSC Complete Shakespeare might be the longest (2481 Pages), when I've finished it :)

The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton may be longer than Montaigne's Essays. War & Peace almost certainly was, Plato's Complete Dialogues may also be, but I can't be bothered to dig them out to check the number of pages...

[myrna22]

Probably War and Peace. The Brothers Karamozov, which I'm currently reading, is over 900 pages, and I think War and Peace is about the same length, but it's been a long time since I read it.

[kitkat203]

I once read Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. At 1344 pages it was rather large but I remember being completely hooked. I've not yet read any more by this author but maybe one day!:nod:

[ForKnowledge]

The brothers karamazov
The Stand
The talisman
Atlas Shrugged
War and Peace

All long Can't Remember which is the longest

[homeros4U]

The longest book I've ever read will have to be Michel Zevaco's The Pardaillan. It is exactly ten volumes, and I could not stop untill I finished all. In the end the hero blows himself up with a chamber full of gun powder, but no one could find any evidence that he was dead. So he could have faked it. I remember how I searched whether any further volume existed. I could only find Le Capitan and read it also in the hope that it might have something to do with the fate of the knight Pardaillan, but it was a totally different story. If you are looking for an exiting story you won't find a better one than The Pardaillan.

[MarkBastable]

The House at Pooh Corner. I feared it would never end and I was praying I might die rather than have to live through it.