When I was in high school and wanted to look cool, I read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Turned out to be my favorite book ever. Anna Karenina is totally one of my favorites as well! Another fun conspiracy for you! At least three of your recommendations are already on my TBR for the readathon!
That is so good to hear about Les Miserables! I am seriously considering putting that one on my TBR for March (even though it is like a mammoth and a half with its long page count!). Haha yes, keep the conspiracies going! It sounds like you have a good TBR planned :)
Cool to see you read Gaddis. Not too many people talk about him. Supposedly he was a big misanthrope, which I kinda love. Someday I’ll read that and JR. I’m sure that was a tough read. Congrats on reading it.
I completely agree, big books are so much more rewarding! All the best books I read last year were over 600 pages so I'm definitely going to be making more time for them in 2019 now I've gotten over the fear 😅
Glad you agree! When I catch myself trying to avoid big books I have to remind myself that 1 large big book is usually way better than 2-3 mediocre ones :)
You have amazing taste in literature. Next year I plan on reading 2666 and The Recognitions. Both incredibly excited and genuinely scared at the same time. Infinite Jest is a phenomenal work, one of my favourites. Keep up the great content 👍
Ah, I remembered the long books that I marathoned before: - Les Miserables and The Brothers Karamazov (14 hours in total over the course of 4 days - for each book) - Don Quixote (9 days because I had high school going on) - 1Q84 (16 hours over the course of 3 days because of the pandemic) - Underworld (a little over 11 hours over the course of 5 days also because of the pandemic) - Anna Karenina (around two weeks-ish) Lots of great memories, for sure! Definitely gonna be picking up Infinite Jest soon! Thanks for sharing your collection!
My favorite mammoth is definitely The Count of Monte Cristo. One of my all-time favorite novels that I can't recommend enough. I think I'll be reading The Pickwick Papers, but I've had The Luminaries on my shelf for ages so this might be the kick in the pants I need to finally read it.
I'm seriously considering reading The Luminaries as well! I've also been putting that one off for far too long. And good to know about Count of Monte Cristo! I haven't invested in a copy yet, but it is definitely on my list of French classics I want to read :)
Reading The Recognitions right now! When Gaddis goes into his esoteric knowledge of obscure religious and historical figures, and ties them into the plot, it feels like I’m in fever dream trying to follow what the hell is happening LOL.
For sure! It's funny how some parts (dialogue heavy scenes with the group of friends) are so compulsively readable, but some other sections are so tricky. Have you checked out this website? It helped me out a lot while reading! www.williamgaddis.org/recognitions/preface.shtml
Hmm, big books in odd-numbered years ... is that because you can't even!? Oooooh, I so want to be you, I want to read so many of these that you've already read. You're the best! I've been finding that my sweet spot is books around 200-250 pages. I mean, if you can't say it in less than 300 pages, what're you doing? But I'm going try to read one of these in March ... I promise ...
HAHA I can't even with that joke-- so on the nose!! :') I think I have a few books that I love that fall within that page range. There is something intensely satisfying about concise books where every moment counts.
Sorta felt the same way with Juliette by de Sade--if you can't say it in 700 pages, what could I possibly learn from you in the last four hundred or so pages? So I quit after 700. But then a year later, picked it back up. Those last few hundred pages were well well worth the effort. OTOH, I quit The Recognitions after about 600 pages, and never returned to it. Oh well.
Appreciate the review. I’ve been considering “the recognitions” for my summer read but there are virtually no video reviews of that book out there. So it was nice to hear your thoughts. Just finishing Don Quixote so maybe in the next few weeks I’ll pick it up.
I think I read The Recognitions during the summer as well, since I needed a lot of extra time to dedicate to finishing this one. It is definitely a rich text to dive into if you enjoy getting lost in the world of a book!
I am late to the party, but this is such a great video! I am excited to read a few mammoths this year including The Executioner's Song. I saw the movie years ago and liked it, but I need to read the book. Thank you for an amazing video!
I love this idea of mammoth books, and I'm saddened by the fact that I've read so few. Mammoth books tend to be some of my most memorable and beloved reading experiences, and always result in a feeling of accomplishment. I think I might try to sneak one or two into my reading this month :)
It's funny how we sometimes put off reading the books that we know we will enjoy the most! I do this a lot. That's exciting to hear you might participate! Even if you only make a dent into one mammoth, that's still progress :}
Alex, this video was so delightful and, more than that, helpful. I read the Russian novels you mentioned so long ago that I only remember "really liking" them - The Brothers Karamazov, especially. I appreciate the tip for D. Quixote; tho, it's a reread, it's taking a minute, what with all the other books sidetracking me. I'll check whether I can find the Civil War time on Overdrive. I'm excited about March!
Thanks, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Talking about those Russian classics made me want to reread them (especially the Brothers Karamazov!)-- if only there were more hours in the day! And yes, I loved taking my time with Don Quixote. Sometimes I would put it down for weeks at a time, but it always felt so lovely returning to it after a break :)
You have given me a friendly nudge towards Infinite Jest. From what most people say reading it sounds like this super complex task and I've felt unprepared and somewhat intimidated. Thanks for saying it can just be read and enjoyed!
Absolutely! It can be a bit confusing getting started, but if you get along with David Foster Wallace's nerdy sense of humour then I think it is a really enjoyable read :)
For some reason April is my mammoth month and I'm tackling Don Quixote...I'm encouraged by your enthusiasm for it and will take your advice on how to read it.
Awesome, I hope you have fun with it! There is also an excellent Open Yale Course about Don Quixote available for free that I enjoyed following along with while I read :}
One of the biggest books I've read (not counting mass market paperbacks) is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I'm almost tempted to reread it... or I might rewatch the mini series which did a great job of adapting it. When will you be posting your TBR? So many great readathons are happening in March, I'll have a hard time choosing!
I've heard good things about that one! I've wanted to read it after hearing Neil Gaiman talk about it so fondly. I didn't know there was a mini series though! I think I will post a TBR for March 1st once I have fully decided. And fair enough, we are so lucky on Booktube to have so many great readathons to keep up with :)
Very interesting analyses. So I've read Infinite Jest, The Brothers Karamazov, and currently, I'm reading The Recognitions as well as The Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. I've purchased War and Peace and 2666, having read a little bit from each. I think what you said on Gaddis' work is accurate and deserved, but I think The Recognitions is actually quite an easy read in most parts, so far! I'm enjoying it immensely, even though the em-dashes are sometimes difficult to follow in the intricately disposed methods of dialogue. Also Infinite Jest is my favorite novel that I've ever read so far, (Wallace has been my greatest influence as a writer and as a thinker in current times) but I was shocked to hear you say that 2666 was the most depressing novel you've ever read. So perhaps I should hold off on reading that one...
Oh nice-- Proust is on my "someday" list! So glad to hear you are liking The Recognitions so far. It was a bit tricky for me in some spots, but was quite entertaining the whole way through. I remember loving the party scenes with the weird dialogue between the artsy hipster friends! Not sure when I'm going to get around to JR though..... I love David Foster Wallace as well. I'm currently rereading A Supposedly Fun Thing at the moment and it is reminding me of what a wicked sense of humour he had! :')
@@bigalbooksforever I especially love reading the parts with Reverend Gwyon and his son Wyatt. I love the way the language of the book changes within their scenes. I hope to get to JR someday, I just finished Carpenter's Gothic and I purchased A Frolic of His Own, and I'll say that a book that is mostly composed of intricate dialogue is difficult but gives a greater purpose to characters than I've ever thought before. I read A Supposedly Fun Thing about two years while I was reading IJ and loved his essay on Lynch very much! Hope you enjoy it too. Oblivion by DFW had some special stories in there for me, not so much humorous as it was saddening though. Maybe after you're done with that, you'll check it out:)
@@garrettwarrick4156 Yes Oblivion is an amazing collection! It's been a while since I read it, but I remember really loving "Good Old Neon." At this point, my only unread David Foster Wallace book is The Pale King. I've been putting off reading it since it will be sad to run out of his works! :(
@@bigalbooksforever I thought Mr. Squishy and one other was quite good, but I'm putting off reading The Pale King for the same reasons as you actually. I can't bring myself to read a book that was left behind by him. His work has meant so much to me, I want to wait on reading The Pale King just a little longer.
What a great list! So many of these are on my TBR 😊 I’ve read and loved both Anna Karenina and War and Peace - the latter took me about 6 weeks while I was studying for exams so kudos to you for finishing it so quickly! And it’s shameful but according to Goodreads I’ve only read 4 mammoths 🙈 The other two being The Swarm by Schätzing and Paris by Rutherfurd. I must remedy this in March!
3 weeks was definitely only possible because I was not in school or working for that month haha! I haven't heard of those other two-- I'll have to look them up!
Hello Alex! I loved this video so much! Big books are my favorites. I have a Mammoth recommendation for you: "Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady", by Samuel Richardson. Surely you've heard of it. I believe it's considered the mother of all mammoths in the world of the english classics. Penguin has the unabridged version (the black spine ones). It IS a slow read, sometimes painfully slow, but believe me, it's great!! All the details concerning the lifes of the characters, the intrigues, the gossip, the beautiful use of the language, etc. Such a complex work of literature and a very rewarding read/experience. For March of the Mammoths I'll read "The Tale of Genji", by Murasaki Shikibu. I'm very excited about it! Happy reading!!
That sounds like a great choice! I have an unread copy of The Tale of Genji as well, but I don't think I'll be getting around to it yet. Thanks for the recommendation! Clarissa is truly a mammoth-sized book, but when you mentioned intrigue and gossip you definitely caught my interest. It is definitely on my "someday" TBR :)
Glad to hear you are interested in joining along! I haven't heard a lot of other people talk about The Executioner's Song, but I thought it was a fascinating book (and one that was really hard to put down!). It would be a great choice :)
bigalbooks Hey, just wanted to get back with you and let you know I did read The Executioner’s Song for March of the Mammoth. It was an intriguing story, and so much politics involved with carrying out this execution. I’m glad I read it and thanks to March of the Mammoths for giving me a reason to tackle it. Hope you all do it again next year.
Awww Anna Karénine! Such a great novel! Loved the video, you made me want to pick up War and Peace again! And reminded me I still have to tackle Crime and Punishment (gathering dust on my shelves right now ^^). Have you read it? The only Dostoïevski book I've read so far is Notes from the Underground, which I loooved!
Crime and Punishment is excellent! I find that though some of Dostoevsky's novels are on the longer side, they are always engaging fast-paced reads for me. There's always so much drama in his novels! And I agree, Notes from Underground is so strange and wonderful :)
It looks to me like the only books longer than 800 pages that I've read are the ASOIAF books by George R.R. Martin and Harry Potter. I'm excited to give this a shot. I've got quite a few mammoths on my bookshelves. Options include Lonesome Dove, The Crimson Petal and the White, The Luminaries, The Pillars of the Earth, The Fireman, It, and Anna Karenina. I've also got some longer nonfiction... Hamilton biography, The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors... I've also been working on volume 1 of The Letters of Sylvia Plath for awhile. Maybe this could be my chance to finally finish that up. This could be super fun. :))
Sounds like lots of good choices! I like that your options are all in a wide variety of genres so you can really go with what you're in the mood for at the time. I'm also considering reading The Luminaries and that Bronte biography. I've never yet read a collection of anyone's letters, but I image Sylvia Plath's would be amazing :)
@@bigalbooksforever Are you considering The Luminaries for March? I started a while ago and enjoyed what I read but got sidetracked. Have been thinking of picking it up again recently
@@wronggeometry Yes The Luminaries is definitely on my shortlist of books I am considering! I read the first chapter a few months ago for a try and chapter tag and have been really wanting to pick it up ever since ;)
Don Quixote, Ana Karenjina and crime and punishment are mandatory reads in high school where i live so it's so weird seeing ppl read that for fun in other countries 😅 right now i'm reading the wise man's fear and the biggest books for me are usually epic fantasy 🙂 i love bigger books and when i read books under 300 pages i always feel like i need more
The moment when you spoke about only having finished the mammoth books in odd-numbered years was HILARIOUS. 😆 Marc Nash is reading Infinite Jest for March of the Mammoths. A handful of people look to be reading Middlemarch.
Haha it was really freaking me out when I started figuring out that pattern!! The weirdest one was 2666 since I read most of the book in 2016 but didn't finish it until January 1st 2017!! What?! Middlemarch in March is perfect timing :)
While watching this, I realized I’ve only read two ‘mammoth sized’ books, Les Mis and Gone With the Wind. So I need to work on my endurance! I am currently working my way through War and Peace (unfortunately I will not be able to claim the ‘finished in 3 weeks’ achievement 😂). But I really am loving it!
So glad to hear you're enjoying War and Peace! I definitely only was able to finish that one so quickly because I did not have a job at the time haha. I'm thinking about reading Les Miserables for the readathon... the length of it has put me off for a long time, so this readathon would be my perfect opportunity probably!
Wow, awesome selection of books there! I have a lot of those, but haven’t finished any of them! I got close in War and Peace (in the excellent Pevear translation), past 900 pages (and ADORED it), but then I had some life issues and never finished. I’ve read a few 1,000-plus page books, but most were pretty easy reads. The King James Old Testament was a tough, 1000+ page read, but so worth it. Need to finish the Apocrypha and NT sometime. My Norton version of Moby Dick was 725 or so pages, and pretty tough (took me longer to read the supplemental material than the actual book!). I actually own Infinite Jest, but I will be honest-it’s not very high on my list. Something about Foster Wallace’s fans just piss me off. One day.... Woman in White will be my next long-ish read.
Oh no, that is so close to finishing War and Peace! The Bible and Moby Dick are two reads that I would like to try some day... but I doubt I could finish either in a month so I will hold off for this readathon. Moby Dick intimidates me for sure... not sure I am that hardcore into whaling, but we'll see!! And fair enough about Infinite Jest. Like I said, I was lucky enough to pick this one up and get to enjoy it knowing pretty much next to nothing about the author (or the fans haha!).
bigalbooks Moby Dick was a lot more fun than I expected, but mostly because I actually got into the digressive chapters. The writing in those is just as good as in the more narrative chapters (sometimes better, and in general MD has some of the best English I’ve ever encountered, up there with a Shakespeare or a Milton-he would blow me away on almost every page, literally), and I got into the whole...squishiness, the physicality, of his writing about whales. It goes into lots of gory detail, and I found that stuff actually pretty exciting and not boring. The Bible is definitely a tougher read. There’s some great stuff in there, but definitely plenty of straight-up boring stuff. I still haven’t finished the New Testament either, although I imagine it’s a little easier than the Old. I do love the language of the King James, though! Plenty of that style is also echoed in Melville.
@@bigalbooksforever I listened to the translation by Isabel Hapgood and narrated by Pete Cross. Loved this version but the book could have been better without the legthy descriptions of church, war, and sewer history:) 4 stars. Great translation
@@bigalbooksforever lol. The wording in that new translation is really well done though. I was laughing throughout the whole book. There were so many phrases used back then that we never hear now.
Be careful of the Lost Cause Myth when it comes to civil war books. There was some rewriting of history in the South. What I heard about War and Peace is that the people and events actually existed, the fictional part is the dialogue. Found this because I don't see any reviews for The Executioner's Song.
2666 is a very depressing book. So depressing I feel like killing myself. It somehow manage to be life-changing and inspiring, it made me wanting to write a book. Anyway, will you tackle Gravity’s Rainbow and Moby-Dick?
I'm glad you got some inspiration out of 2666! But yes, it definitely has a very bleak outlook on humanity... I still get depressed when I think about that final section with the scene set during World War II. I am planning on reading GR and MB someday in the future. Maybe not this year, but I'm slowly working my way up to them!!
@@bigalbooksforever Even the warming moments (Fate saving Rosa, Archimboldi reunite with Lotte) doesn’t really feel heartwarming at all, I felt like it was glossed over.
@@GeorgeMillerUSA Thanks for the recommendation-- I've been wondering where to go next with Bolaño! Plus after only reading huge books this month, I am definitely in the mood for some shorter reads! :)
Glad to hear you are enjoying it! That is a long commitment on audio-- I would have to really like the narrator's style to make it through an audiobook of that length! :)
Try Musil's Man Without Qualities. Couple of cuts above all of these and it's both the biggest and the best of all of these, which I know is hard to believe.Faulkner eg is a cub scout compared to the genius of Musil. Audible version is terrific,
I think I read most mammoths in summer: the lord of the rings, the pillars of the earth, anna karenina... maybe I tried to look intellectual lying on the beach with Dumas, surrounded by readers of 50 shades of gray 😂 I am halfway through Les miseranles and I am loving it, so I do recommend the read. Between December and January I read 4321 by Paul Auster (around 900 pages in the Italian translation). If you are looking for a page turner give a chance to Wilkie Collins: the Woman in white or the Moonstone will keep you awake at night to find out what's going on
Haha yes it is always fun dragging along a massive book to the beach! Good to hear you are enjoying Les Miserable-- I am definitely considering that one as one of my picks for March. How did you enjoy 4321? I've heard mixed reviews on that one, but it sounds like an interesting concept. I have been meaning to get around to reading Wilkie Collins. I own a copy of The Woman in White, so hopefully I'll read that one sometime this year!
@@bigalbooksforever the Miserables is wonderful, but sometimes too long in the historical parts (35 pages to describe Waterloo's battle which has no impact at all on the story apart from the final ten lines) which I confess I am flipping trhough. :P I liked 4321 as a whole and it was really insightful as to American recent history, but sometimes he is also taking the story too long, indulging in useless descriptions and episodes (but I suppose that some readers appreciated right those aspects). It was 4 stars to me.
@@liselegge_liseviaggia Thanks, that is good to know! Ramble-y long sections can definitely be the drawback with longer books sometimes but I guess it's part of the experience!
Oh yes! Quixote is everything! I loved it. Book 2, IMO, was much better than Book1. It's sad that most people only know the windmill story and no more of the story. I have Vanity Fair sitting on my TBR mountain now. I read SO slowly that I could not remotely finish something that long in only a month. It's not my favorite, but Gone with the Wind is an engaging read. My edition was over 800 pages for sure. The differences between the book and the film are interesting. My unpopular opinion is that all the changes made for the film improved the story by leaps and bounds, but that's just me. As for non-fiction, I loved Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer, but it is a slog and I would not recommend reading it straight through. It has an INCREDIBLE amount of detail. It's hard to get through, but it could not be more informative, if you are interested in that era.
I agree, Book 2 of DW all the way! It is so much weirder (and spookily postmodern!). I've been on the fence about whether I want to read Gone with the Wind, but maybe I should start with watching the movie first (I think I've only ever seen parts of it here and there!). I'm always looking for more historical non-fiction to add to my TBR, so I'll have to keep that title in mind. It sounds intense!
I see you have P&V’s Karamazov, and that it has been translated into English three more times after them (I wonder why?). Have you heard anything about preferred translations of this book? DNFed 2666, couldn’t take any more dead women.
There always seem to be a lot choices for recent Dostoevsky translations (especially Crime and Punishment). I found that the P&V translations were really accessible and made for an engaging and exciting reading experience. I have heard some people complain that they are not the most accurate at preserving the original integrity of the text, so I will be curious to try other translations. I think the next one I will try is the Ignat Avsey version (Oxford World's Classics). And good call on 2666. That part of the book is so troubling-- I'm not really sure what Bolaño was trying to achieve or whether it was worth it in the end....
I feel like it never hurts to go with P&V. I read (most) of their War & Peace, and it was phenomenal and very readable. I hear it’s quite accurate. You can always read it again in another translation if you like it!
I’ve decided I’m going to read Eleanor Catton’s ‘the Luminaires’ (my edition is JUST over 800 pages) and perhaps a biography, maybe the new Frederick Douglass one. Maybe you’ve convinced me to pick up Vanity Fair? Maaaaaaybe...
I am heavily considering reading The Luminaries as well! Frederick Douglass would be a fascinating person to read about, so that sounds like a great choice. If you're thinking about Vanity Fair, I'd say try reading the first chapter. I knew right away with that one that it was going to be a book I would love, so maybe see if the style suits you before committing to the whole thing :)
While it’s no longer March 2019, I just started the Executioner’s Song! I’m actually making my way through all the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction. I appreciate your insight.
Wow! I feel like I need to up my game with reading long books after your video 😅. When you talked about people who buy Infinite Jest and never read it, I had to hide in shame, because I not only bought it and didn't read it: I bought it, didn't read it, and then GAVE IT AWAY 😭
Haha fair enough! I think it's a good idea to send the book back out into the world instead of having it sit around judging you for not having read it yet (at least that's how I feel about some of my unread long books!).
That's hilarious that you read the long books in odd years. Why is that? There must be a reason. I love conspiracies lol. So many books on my list. I'm not afraid of reading big books, but I find that I don't have a ton of time in college.
Fair enough! When I was in school I only really read much during my summer break. And yeah I have no idea why I am haunted by this conspiracy/curse... I'm hoping to break the cycle in 2020! :)
Luckily I have been able to break out of my pattern-- hopefully I can keep it up! Those are both great mammoths... ones that I hope to reread again someday despite the length! :)
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You read the recognitions, wow 🖤
When I was in high school and wanted to look cool, I read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Turned out to be my favorite book ever. Anna Karenina is totally one of my favorites as well! Another fun conspiracy for you! At least three of your recommendations are already on my TBR for the readathon!
That is so good to hear about Les Miserables! I am seriously considering putting that one on my TBR for March (even though it is like a mammoth and a half with its long page count!). Haha yes, keep the conspiracies going! It sounds like you have a good TBR planned :)
Are you my twin? I could have written that and I'm named Kristin. 🤣
Loved. :)
Read The Infinite Jest because of you and felt the exact same away before and after.
That must be the best review ever of Infinite Jest!
I do love talking about that book haha :)
Cool to see you read Gaddis. Not too many people talk about him. Supposedly he was a big misanthrope, which I kinda love. Someday I’ll read that and JR.
I’m sure that was a tough read. Congrats on reading it.
It was a challenge for sure, but it is such a cool book. Well worth the struggle!
I completely agree, big books are so much more rewarding! All the best books I read last year were over 600 pages so I'm definitely going to be making more time for them in 2019 now I've gotten over the fear 😅
Glad you agree! When I catch myself trying to avoid big books I have to remind myself that 1 large big book is usually way better than 2-3 mediocre ones :)
You have amazing taste in literature. Next year I plan on reading 2666 and The Recognitions. Both incredibly excited and genuinely scared at the same time. Infinite Jest is a phenomenal work, one of my favourites. Keep up the great content 👍
Yes they are both exciting and scary at times but worth it in the end. I hope you enjoy your long reads next year! 🤘
Ah, I remembered the long books that I marathoned before:
- Les Miserables and The Brothers Karamazov (14 hours in total over the course of 4 days - for each book)
- Don Quixote (9 days because I had high school going on)
- 1Q84 (16 hours over the course of 3 days because of the pandemic)
- Underworld (a little over 11 hours over the course of 5 days also because of the pandemic)
- Anna Karenina (around two weeks-ish)
Lots of great memories, for sure!
Definitely gonna be picking up Infinite Jest soon! Thanks for sharing your collection!
Wow, Les Mis in 4 days?! Your stamina is heroic! Both 1Q84 and Underworld are on my list of mammoths to be read :)
My favorite mammoth is definitely The Count of Monte Cristo. One of my all-time favorite novels that I can't recommend enough.
I think I'll be reading The Pickwick Papers, but I've had The Luminaries on my shelf for ages so this might be the kick in the pants I need to finally read it.
I'm seriously considering reading The Luminaries as well! I've also been putting that one off for far too long. And good to know about Count of Monte Cristo! I haven't invested in a copy yet, but it is definitely on my list of French classics I want to read :)
I love this channel and your taste in books! I am a very persistent reader; I don’t care how long they are so much as I like them all.
Reading The Recognitions right now! When Gaddis goes into his esoteric knowledge of obscure religious and historical figures, and ties them into the plot, it feels like I’m in fever dream trying to follow what the hell is happening LOL.
For sure! It's funny how some parts (dialogue heavy scenes with the group of friends) are so compulsively readable, but some other sections are so tricky. Have you checked out this website? It helped me out a lot while reading! www.williamgaddis.org/recognitions/preface.shtml
Whaaat?? "War & peace" works as a binge-read, considering the length? I am DEFINITELY reading that badboy! Thanx!👍🏼🖤
Cool video! I enjoy a big book
They are the best!
The Norton Anthology of World Literature even in the shorter two volume edition, clocking in at over 4000 pages!
Hmm, big books in odd-numbered years ... is that because you can't even!? Oooooh, I so want to be you, I want to read so many of these that you've already read. You're the best! I've been finding that my sweet spot is books around 200-250 pages. I mean, if you can't say it in less than 300 pages, what're you doing? But I'm going try to read one of these in March ... I promise ...
HAHA I can't even with that joke-- so on the nose!! :') I think I have a few books that I love that fall within that page range. There is something intensely satisfying about concise books where every moment counts.
Sorta felt the same way with Juliette by de Sade--if you can't say it in 700 pages, what could I possibly learn from you in the last four hundred or so pages? So I quit after 700. But then a year later, picked it back up. Those last few hundred pages were well well worth the effort. OTOH, I quit The Recognitions after about 600 pages, and never returned to it. Oh well.
what a great list, so many of those are on my tbr!
Amazing, glad to hear you are looking forward to reading these great books! :)
Appreciate the review. I’ve been considering “the recognitions” for my summer read but there are virtually no video reviews of that book out there. So it was nice to hear your thoughts.
Just finishing Don Quixote so maybe in the next few weeks I’ll pick it up.
I think I read The Recognitions during the summer as well, since I needed a lot of extra time to dedicate to finishing this one. It is definitely a rich text to dive into if you enjoy getting lost in the world of a book!
Well hello there, kindred spirit! Solid video!
Thanks for checking it out! Your channel definitely helps inspire me to want to continue picking up more weird lengthy reads! 🙌
bigalbooks likewise! Perusing your video repository of late. Wonderful channel here.
Loved The Executioner's Song
Another fantastic video.
Your enthusiasm for literature is always so infectious. Keep it up! :)
Thank you for the kind words! I appreciate hearing that :}
I am late to the party, but this is such a great video! I am excited to read a few mammoths this year including The Executioner's Song. I saw the movie years ago and liked it, but I need to read the book. Thank you for an amazing video!
I had no idea there was a movie for that!! I'll need to check that out!
@@bigalbooksforever Tommy Lee Jones is Gary Gilmore and he is excellent in it.
@@thebookishbryants Ooooh I can see that being a good casting choice!!
I love this idea of mammoth books, and I'm saddened by the fact that I've read so few. Mammoth books tend to be some of my most memorable and beloved reading experiences, and always result in a feeling of accomplishment. I think I might try to sneak one or two into my reading this month :)
It's funny how we sometimes put off reading the books that we know we will enjoy the most! I do this a lot. That's exciting to hear you might participate! Even if you only make a dent into one mammoth, that's still progress :}
Can’t wait to hear your TBR! My favorite long books have been Margaret George’s 😬 and also Team of Rivals was pretty good.
I've heard great things about Team of Rivals! Could be a good one to read as I slowly start filling in my gaps about US politics :)
I’ve been waiting for new videos from you for ages. Where have you been, Ms. Beacon Hill Books?
Late to the party, but we seem to have a lot of mutual favorite books! Infinite jest especially being my all time favorite. Lovely video!
incredible!
Alex, this video was so delightful and, more than that, helpful. I read the Russian novels you mentioned so long ago that I only remember "really liking" them - The Brothers Karamazov, especially. I appreciate the tip for D. Quixote; tho, it's a reread, it's taking a minute, what with all the other books sidetracking me. I'll check whether I can find the Civil War time on Overdrive. I'm excited about March!
Thanks, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Talking about those Russian classics made me want to reread them (especially the Brothers Karamazov!)-- if only there were more hours in the day! And yes, I loved taking my time with Don Quixote. Sometimes I would put it down for weeks at a time, but it always felt so lovely returning to it after a break :)
Great video!📗📙📘
Most excellent choices, Alex ... I've yet to read _Infinite Jest_ !
Glad you enjoyed my list! :)
Thoroughly enjoyed Edith Grossman's version of Don Quixote.
It is such a smooth translation. I also read the Don Rutherford one and he did a good job with the humour, but I think I like Grossman's style best :)
You have given me a friendly nudge towards Infinite Jest. From what most people say reading it sounds like this super complex task and I've felt unprepared and somewhat intimidated. Thanks for saying it can just be read and enjoyed!
Absolutely! It can be a bit confusing getting started, but if you get along with David Foster Wallace's nerdy sense of humour then I think it is a really enjoyable read :)
For some reason April is my mammoth month and I'm tackling Don Quixote...I'm encouraged by your enthusiasm for it and will take your advice on how to read it.
Awesome, I hope you have fun with it! There is also an excellent Open Yale Course about Don Quixote available for free that I enjoyed following along with while I read :}
One of the biggest books I've read (not counting mass market paperbacks) is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I'm almost tempted to reread it... or I might rewatch the mini series which did a great job of adapting it.
When will you be posting your TBR? So many great readathons are happening in March, I'll have a hard time choosing!
I've heard good things about that one! I've wanted to read it after hearing Neil Gaiman talk about it so fondly. I didn't know there was a mini series though! I think I will post a TBR for March 1st once I have fully decided. And fair enough, we are so lucky on Booktube to have so many great readathons to keep up with :)
Very interesting analyses. So I've read Infinite Jest, The Brothers Karamazov, and currently, I'm reading The Recognitions as well as The Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. I've purchased War and Peace and 2666, having read a little bit from each. I think what you said on Gaddis' work is accurate and deserved, but I think The Recognitions is actually quite an easy read in most parts, so far! I'm enjoying it immensely, even though the em-dashes are sometimes difficult to follow in the intricately disposed methods of dialogue. Also Infinite Jest is my favorite novel that I've ever read so far, (Wallace has been my greatest influence as a writer and as a thinker in current times) but I was shocked to hear you say that 2666 was the most depressing novel you've ever read. So perhaps I should hold off on reading that one...
Oh nice-- Proust is on my "someday" list! So glad to hear you are liking The Recognitions so far. It was a bit tricky for me in some spots, but was quite entertaining the whole way through. I remember loving the party scenes with the weird dialogue between the artsy hipster friends! Not sure when I'm going to get around to JR though..... I love David Foster Wallace as well. I'm currently rereading A Supposedly Fun Thing at the moment and it is reminding me of what a wicked sense of humour he had! :')
@@bigalbooksforever I especially love reading the parts with Reverend Gwyon and his son Wyatt. I love the way the language of the book changes within their scenes. I hope to get to JR someday, I just finished Carpenter's Gothic and I purchased A Frolic of His Own, and I'll say that a book that is mostly composed of intricate dialogue is difficult but gives a greater purpose to characters than I've ever thought before. I read A Supposedly Fun Thing about two years while I was reading IJ and loved his essay on Lynch very much! Hope you enjoy it too. Oblivion by DFW had some special stories in there for me, not so much humorous as it was saddening though. Maybe after you're done with that, you'll check it out:)
@@garrettwarrick4156 Yes Oblivion is an amazing collection! It's been a while since I read it, but I remember really loving "Good Old Neon." At this point, my only unread David Foster Wallace book is The Pale King. I've been putting off reading it since it will be sad to run out of his works! :(
@@bigalbooksforever I thought Mr. Squishy and one other was quite good, but I'm putting off reading The Pale King for the same reasons as you actually. I can't bring myself to read a book that was left behind by him. His work has meant so much to me, I want to wait on reading The Pale King just a little longer.
What a great list! So many of these are on my TBR 😊 I’ve read and loved both Anna Karenina and War and Peace - the latter took me about 6 weeks while I was studying for exams so kudos to you for finishing it so quickly! And it’s shameful but according to Goodreads I’ve only read 4 mammoths 🙈 The other two being The Swarm by Schätzing and Paris by Rutherfurd. I must remedy this in March!
3 weeks was definitely only possible because I was not in school or working for that month haha! I haven't heard of those other two-- I'll have to look them up!
Hello Alex! I loved this video so much! Big books are my favorites. I have a Mammoth recommendation for you: "Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady", by Samuel Richardson. Surely you've heard of it. I believe it's considered the mother of all mammoths in the world of the english classics. Penguin has the unabridged version (the black spine ones). It IS a slow read, sometimes painfully slow, but believe me, it's great!! All the details concerning the lifes of the characters, the intrigues, the gossip, the beautiful use of the language, etc. Such a complex work of literature and a very rewarding read/experience. For March of the Mammoths I'll read "The Tale of Genji", by Murasaki Shikibu. I'm very excited about it! Happy reading!!
That sounds like a great choice! I have an unread copy of The Tale of Genji as well, but I don't think I'll be getting around to it yet. Thanks for the recommendation! Clarissa is truly a mammoth-sized book, but when you mentioned intrigue and gossip you definitely caught my interest. It is definitely on my "someday" TBR :)
Glad you mentioned The Executioner’s Song. I have that one and think I will participate in the March of the Mammoths.
Glad to hear you are interested in joining along! I haven't heard a lot of other people talk about The Executioner's Song, but I thought it was a fascinating book (and one that was really hard to put down!). It would be a great choice :)
bigalbooks Hey, just wanted to get back with you and let you know I did read The Executioner’s Song for March of the Mammoth. It was an intriguing story, and so much politics involved with carrying out this execution. I’m glad I read it and thanks to March of the Mammoths for giving me a reason to tackle it. Hope you all do it again next year.
Awww Anna Karénine! Such a great novel! Loved the video, you made me want to pick up War and Peace again! And reminded me I still have to tackle Crime and Punishment (gathering dust on my shelves right now ^^). Have you read it? The only Dostoïevski book I've read so far is Notes from the Underground, which I loooved!
Crime and Punishment is excellent! I find that though some of Dostoevsky's novels are on the longer side, they are always engaging fast-paced reads for me. There's always so much drama in his novels! And I agree, Notes from Underground is so strange and wonderful :)
It looks to me like the only books longer than 800 pages that I've read are the ASOIAF books by George R.R. Martin and Harry Potter. I'm excited to give this a shot. I've got quite a few mammoths on my bookshelves. Options include Lonesome Dove, The Crimson Petal and the White, The Luminaries, The Pillars of the Earth, The Fireman, It, and Anna Karenina. I've also got some longer nonfiction... Hamilton biography, The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors... I've also been working on volume 1 of The Letters of Sylvia Plath for awhile. Maybe this could be my chance to finally finish that up. This could be super fun. :))
Sounds like lots of good choices! I like that your options are all in a wide variety of genres so you can really go with what you're in the mood for at the time. I'm also considering reading The Luminaries and that Bronte biography. I've never yet read a collection of anyone's letters, but I image Sylvia Plath's would be amazing :)
@@bigalbooksforever Are you considering The Luminaries for March? I started a while ago and enjoyed what I read but got sidetracked. Have been thinking of picking it up again recently
@@wronggeometry Yes The Luminaries is definitely on my shortlist of books I am considering! I read the first chapter a few months ago for a try and chapter tag and have been really wanting to pick it up ever since ;)
Don Quixote, Ana Karenjina and crime and punishment are mandatory reads in high school where i live so it's so weird seeing ppl read that for fun in other countries 😅 right now i'm reading the wise man's fear and the biggest books for me are usually epic fantasy 🙂 i love bigger books and when i read books under 300 pages i always feel like i need more
Wow, that's cool! I would have loved reading those books in high school. I don't think I was ever assigned anything longer than 250 pages :P
The moment when you spoke about only having finished the mammoth books in odd-numbered years was HILARIOUS. 😆 Marc Nash is reading Infinite Jest for March of the Mammoths. A handful of people look to be reading Middlemarch.
Haha it was really freaking me out when I started figuring out that pattern!! The weirdest one was 2666 since I read most of the book in 2016 but didn't finish it until January 1st 2017!! What?! Middlemarch in March is perfect timing :)
I have always preferred the even-numbered Harry Potter films and have always wondered what that might mean. 🤔
@@OldBluesChapterandVerse ...yep, sounds to me like there is a larger story there that you need to look into....!
I've read the Urantia Book which has 2097 pages (2087 pages after deducting title and blank pages)
If you like Mailer’s “The Executioner’s Song” you should read his novels “Ancient Evenings” and “Harlot’s Ghost.”
While watching this, I realized I’ve only read two ‘mammoth sized’ books, Les Mis and Gone With the Wind. So I need to work on my endurance! I am currently working my way through War and Peace (unfortunately I will not be able to claim the ‘finished in 3 weeks’ achievement 😂). But I really am loving it!
So glad to hear you're enjoying War and Peace! I definitely only was able to finish that one so quickly because I did not have a job at the time haha. I'm thinking about reading Les Miserables for the readathon... the length of it has put me off for a long time, so this readathon would be my perfect opportunity probably!
You didn't mention The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas.
I haven't read that one yet, but hopefully one day!
Wow, awesome selection of books there! I have a lot of those, but haven’t finished any of them! I got close in War and Peace (in the excellent Pevear translation), past 900 pages (and ADORED it), but then I had some life issues and never finished.
I’ve read a few 1,000-plus page books, but most were pretty easy reads. The King James Old Testament was a tough, 1000+ page read, but so worth it. Need to finish the Apocrypha and NT sometime. My Norton version of Moby Dick was 725 or so pages, and pretty tough (took me longer to read the supplemental material than the actual book!).
I actually own Infinite Jest, but I will be honest-it’s not very high on my list. Something about Foster Wallace’s fans just piss me off. One day....
Woman in White will be my next long-ish read.
Oh no, that is so close to finishing War and Peace! The Bible and Moby Dick are two reads that I would like to try some day... but I doubt I could finish either in a month so I will hold off for this readathon. Moby Dick intimidates me for sure... not sure I am that hardcore into whaling, but we'll see!! And fair enough about Infinite Jest. Like I said, I was lucky enough to pick this one up and get to enjoy it knowing pretty much next to nothing about the author (or the fans haha!).
bigalbooks Moby Dick was a lot more fun than I expected, but mostly because I actually got into the digressive chapters. The writing in those is just as good as in the more narrative chapters (sometimes better, and in general MD has some of the best English I’ve ever encountered, up there with a Shakespeare or a Milton-he would blow me away on almost every page, literally), and I got into the whole...squishiness, the physicality, of his writing about whales. It goes into lots of gory detail, and I found that stuff actually pretty exciting and not boring.
The Bible is definitely a tougher read. There’s some great stuff in there, but definitely plenty of straight-up boring stuff. I still haven’t finished the New Testament either, although I imagine it’s a little easier than the Old. I do love the language of the King James, though! Plenty of that style is also echoed in Melville.
Gaddis has a great sense of humor, you should try JR as I think it’s a much easier read compared to the recognitions
I'm looking forward to starting Little Dorrit! I just finished Les Miserables:)
Good choice!! How did you enjoy Les Miserables?
@@bigalbooksforever I listened to the translation by Isabel Hapgood and narrated by Pete Cross. Loved this version but the book could have been better without the legthy descriptions of church, war, and sewer history:) 4 stars. Great translation
@@springintoreading7225 Haha fair enough! I have heard about the infamously lengthy sewer passages :O
@@bigalbooksforever lol. The wording in that new translation is really well done though. I was laughing throughout the whole book. There were so many phrases used back then that we never hear now.
I Love you!!!!!
Be careful of the Lost Cause Myth when it comes to civil war books. There was some rewriting of history in the South.
What I heard about War and Peace is that the people and events actually existed, the fictional part is the dialogue.
Found this because I don't see any reviews for The Executioner's Song.
how do you find those stats that tell you how long the books are?
What do you make of the wardine part of infinite jest on page 37 ish
2666 is a very depressing book. So depressing I feel like killing myself. It somehow manage to be life-changing and inspiring, it made me wanting to write a book.
Anyway, will you tackle Gravity’s Rainbow and Moby-Dick?
I'm glad you got some inspiration out of 2666! But yes, it definitely has a very bleak outlook on humanity... I still get depressed when I think about that final section with the scene set during World War II. I am planning on reading GR and MB someday in the future. Maybe not this year, but I'm slowly working my way up to them!!
@@bigalbooksforever Even the warming moments (Fate saving Rosa, Archimboldi reunite with Lotte) doesn’t really feel heartwarming at all, I felt like it was glossed over.
@@bigalbooksforever I just read A Little Lumpen Novelita and I like it. It’s a short and tender book, and I think you should read it.
@@GeorgeMillerUSA Thanks for the recommendation-- I've been wondering where to go next with Bolaño! Plus after only reading huge books this month, I am definitely in the mood for some shorter reads! :)
I'm currently listening to
An Instance of the Fingerpost which is brilliant and 27+ hrs on audio.
Glad to hear you are enjoying it! That is a long commitment on audio-- I would have to really like the narrator's style to make it through an audiobook of that length! :)
Try Musil's Man Without Qualities. Couple of cuts above all of these and it's both the biggest and the best of all of these, which I know is hard to believe.Faulkner eg is a cub scout compared to the genius of Musil. Audible version is terrific,
That is high praise! I never seem to find a copy of it anywhere but it is definitely one I need to get to someday!
I think I read most mammoths in summer: the lord of the rings, the pillars of the earth, anna karenina... maybe I tried to look intellectual lying on the beach with Dumas, surrounded by readers of 50 shades of gray 😂 I am halfway through Les miseranles and I am loving it, so I do recommend the read. Between December and January I read 4321 by Paul Auster (around 900 pages in the Italian translation). If you are looking for a page turner give a chance to Wilkie Collins: the Woman in white or the Moonstone will keep you awake at night to find out what's going on
Haha yes it is always fun dragging along a massive book to the beach! Good to hear you are enjoying Les Miserable-- I am definitely considering that one as one of my picks for March. How did you enjoy 4321? I've heard mixed reviews on that one, but it sounds like an interesting concept. I have been meaning to get around to reading Wilkie Collins. I own a copy of The Woman in White, so hopefully I'll read that one sometime this year!
@@bigalbooksforever the Miserables is wonderful, but sometimes too long in the historical parts (35 pages to describe Waterloo's battle which has no impact at all on the story apart from the final ten lines) which I confess I am flipping trhough. :P I liked 4321 as a whole and it was really insightful as to American recent history, but sometimes he is also taking the story too long, indulging in useless descriptions and episodes (but I suppose that some readers appreciated right those aspects). It was 4 stars to me.
@@liselegge_liseviaggia Thanks, that is good to know! Ramble-y long sections can definitely be the drawback with longer books sometimes but I guess it's part of the experience!
Oh yes! Quixote is everything! I loved it. Book 2, IMO, was much better than Book1. It's sad that most people only know the windmill story and no more of the story.
I have Vanity Fair sitting on my TBR mountain now. I read SO slowly that I could not remotely finish something that long in only a month.
It's not my favorite, but Gone with the Wind is an engaging read. My edition was over 800 pages for sure. The differences between the book and the film are interesting. My unpopular opinion is that all the changes made for the film improved the story by leaps and bounds, but that's just me.
As for non-fiction, I loved Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer, but it is a slog and I would not recommend reading it straight through. It has an INCREDIBLE amount of detail. It's hard to get through, but it could not be more informative, if you are interested in that era.
I agree, Book 2 of DW all the way! It is so much weirder (and spookily postmodern!). I've been on the fence about whether I want to read Gone with the Wind, but maybe I should start with watching the movie first (I think I've only ever seen parts of it here and there!). I'm always looking for more historical non-fiction to add to my TBR, so I'll have to keep that title in mind. It sounds intense!
I see you have P&V’s Karamazov, and that it has been translated into English three more times after them (I wonder why?). Have you heard anything about preferred translations of this book? DNFed 2666, couldn’t take any more dead women.
There always seem to be a lot choices for recent Dostoevsky translations (especially Crime and Punishment). I found that the P&V translations were really accessible and made for an engaging and exciting reading experience. I have heard some people complain that they are not the most accurate at preserving the original integrity of the text, so I will be curious to try other translations. I think the next one I will try is the Ignat Avsey version (Oxford World's Classics). And good call on 2666. That part of the book is so troubling-- I'm not really sure what Bolaño was trying to achieve or whether it was worth it in the end....
I feel like it never hurts to go with P&V. I read (most) of their War & Peace, and it was phenomenal and very readable. I hear it’s quite accurate. You can always read it again in another translation if you like it!
You left 2066 out of the Chapters! It starts at 16:30
I’ve decided I’m going to read Eleanor Catton’s ‘the Luminaires’ (my edition is JUST over 800 pages) and perhaps a biography, maybe the new Frederick Douglass one. Maybe you’ve convinced me to pick up Vanity Fair? Maaaaaaybe...
I am heavily considering reading The Luminaries as well! Frederick Douglass would be a fascinating person to read about, so that sounds like a great choice. If you're thinking about Vanity Fair, I'd say try reading the first chapter. I knew right away with that one that it was going to be a book I would love, so maybe see if the style suits you before committing to the whole thing :)
bigalbooks i’ll give it a try! Thanks :)
While it’s no longer March 2019, I just started the Executioner’s Song! I’m actually making my way through all the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction. I appreciate your insight.
I hope you're enjoying it so far! I could not put that one down once I got into it!
It's a True Crime book that the author insisted was a nonfiction novel. So fiction it was not. I'm almost done with it.
Wow! I feel like I need to up my game with reading long books after your video 😅. When you talked about people who buy Infinite Jest and never read it, I had to hide in shame, because I not only bought it and didn't read it: I bought it, didn't read it, and then GAVE IT AWAY 😭
Haha fair enough! I think it's a good idea to send the book back out into the world instead of having it sit around judging you for not having read it yet (at least that's how I feel about some of my unread long books!).
That's hilarious that you read the long books in odd years. Why is that? There must be a reason. I love conspiracies lol. So many books on my list. I'm not afraid of reading big books, but I find that I don't have a ton of time in college.
Fair enough! When I was in school I only really read much during my summer break. And yeah I have no idea why I am haunted by this conspiracy/curse... I'm hoping to break the cycle in 2020! :)
I've read 94
Wow! Maybe when I'm 50 I'll get there haha :)
You were 17 when you read Infinite Jest? I refuse to believe you understood it.
You are a big girl
I love your 'conspiracy mode' and the #marchingmammoths I read Anna Karenina this year for it and want to get Recognitions done at some point....
Luckily I have been able to break out of my pattern-- hopefully I can keep it up! Those are both great mammoths... ones that I hope to reread again someday despite the length! :)