10 long books you should read
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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Books discussed:
The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell 984pp
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 964pp
Swan Song by Robert R McCammon 956pp
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry 949pp
The Terror by Dan Simmons 944pp
Riders by Jilly Cooper 929pp
Under the Dome by Stephen King 880pp
Blackwater by Michael McDowell 774pp
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez 736pp
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane 720pp
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If anyones looking for additional recommendations
11-22-63 by Stephen King, carrion comfort by Dan Simmons, a little life by Hanya Yanagihara, weaveworld by Clive Barker and the road to jonestown by Jeff Guinn are other longish books that are worth a read
Every reader on TikTok I've seen review A Little Life was crying. Must be pretty intense!
Its certainly gut wrenching and heart breaking at times (wish I'd gone to see the play last year - if it did the book justice must have been an intense experience). If you decide to give it a read maybe have something light and life affirming to read afterwards lined up, something like The Humans by Matt Haig
@@johnyarrow6100 Great advice! I'll keep something nearby!
Speaking of Clive Barker, his longest - and, in my opinion, by a long chalk his best - novel is 'Imajica'; 1200+ pages, but gripping throughout (which, sad to say, 'Weaveworld' is not)
You should read "The Count of Monte Cristo"!!! It is one of the longest books (actually the German translation is 1500 pages!!) but it's also the best book I have ever read ❤❤
I was just going to mention this one.
Just finished this book yesterday took me two weeks but worth it
Agree!
Such an incredible book
Best revenge story I've read.
I’m so glad you mentioned The Terror. That book is incredible.
You are so right about crime novels and their sense of place! I realized several years ago that an author's skill with that kind of scene-setting matters more to me than the actual mystery. Weird but true.
There is a little book called Deep and Dark and Dangerous that I read when I was in middle grade. I couldn't remember the plot or name for a when I started reading again as an adult, but I always remembered the description of the cottage by a dark lake. I reread it as an adult and it's no wonder so many adults (YA too) still love to read Mary Downing Hahn. She does great environment work!
Loved Lonesome Dove. Like you said, it closely depicted life in the Old West and the story about the relationships was beautifully written. Loved Under the Dome. For me, it spoke volumes about power and self-interest in an every-man-for-yourself environment. And you can never go wrong with anything by Dennis Lehane. Thanks for the tip about The Kindly Ones. That period of history fascinates me. But I might not be ready for a long slog right now. I’m reading Crime and Punishment and The Count of Monte Cristo, the latter at your suggestion. Cheers!
The most recent really long book I read was Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. I know he is not a favorite on this channel but I thought it was not only a great book with memorable characters as you would expect from Dickens, but it also painted a fascinating and not altogether appealing picture of 19th Century London. Oddly it made me want to visit which I will be doing in just over a month.
I have been to London twice and really enjoyed it.🇺🇸☕❄❄❄❄🎄
@ I was there this summer for a week and had a great time. I actually visited the Dickens Museum which was fascinating and I did the walking tour to see areas of the city described in his novels. Highly recommended!
Some great recommendations there, Olly. Michael McDowell's Blackwater saga is sublime, and I'll definitely be checking out the Lehane book. I'd like to throw my own hat into the ring by recommending four books, which all top 500 pages: The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, Watership Down by Richard Adams and The Secret History by Donna Tartt. All four of those would be included among my favourite books of all time.
Thank you for making my TBR even longer! I loved the Stand, The Tommyknockers,The Count of Monte Cristo and am currently loving Don Quixote!
Can definitely agree on Lonesome Dove and The Terror, which both have incredible TV adaptations, too. So you can read and then watch.
I do need to watch the Lonesome Dove show. The Terror was a great adaptation
The Terror is based on an entirely true slice of British Royal Naval history: the search for the North West Passage through the Arctic/Northern Canada from east to west. The two ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, were both lost, and only recently (2014 and 2016) have their ice-bound remains been found. What happened to the crews is still speculation. Supernatural elements aside, The Terror's interpretation of their dreadful ends is probably pretty accurate.
A favorite nonfiction book for me is _The Fifties_ by David Halberstam (733 pages), which tells the story of America during the 1950s, both politically and culturally.
Also, anthologies of short stories are usually not included in big book lists, but I want to give a shout to _Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume 1_ (672 pages), selected by the SFWA and edited by Robert Silverberg. Reading this book from cover to cover gives the reader a grounding in the essential SF prior to 1965.
That second one sounds one by Dad might love.
One that nearly made the list (but was too short) was One Summer 1927 by Bill Bryson which sounds a bit like The Fifties
I found Shogun, though lengthy to be an engrossing read. Much better than any adaptations.
The books usually are better.🇺🇸
Under the dome is on my TBR. Looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the suggestions. ❤📚
Wow. Of the ones you listed that I've read, I completely agree. I own several of these and they're on my to-read shelf so I'm glaid I have some great things to look forward to!
I started The Kindly Ones but didn't get very far. The long military titles were confusing and I just began to get depressed. So I won't be revisiting that any time soon. I'll stick to the Bernie Gunther series by Phillip Kerr. The only other long books I've read were War and Peace and The Quincunx by Charles Palliser. The Palliser book is an amazing recreation of a complicated Victorian novel with many characters and plot lines. It's very addictive. I'm thinking of re-reading it for Victober:).
I’ve found it harder to commit to long books as I age, but for that reason, it’s a good challenge. Maybe in the Fall. 😊
Years ago my grandmother said hat "some books are too heavy to read." I was about 14 at the time and didn't understand. I am now 76 and I realize what she was talking about. However, I have found that no matter how long a book is my Kindle weighs the same. Nana would have appreciated the Kindle.
🇺🇸☕❄❄❄❄❄❄🎄
I loved "Under the Dome" - one of the best King's I've ever read. "Helter Skelter" was also amazing, but very chilling! Vincent Bugliosi also wrote another book - about his experience as a trial lawyer and I found that fascinating as well. I might give that Boston series a shot, I think I would like it!
I would like to recommend Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi!
Oh, how funny. The Terror has been on my shelf for 2 years and I've kept skipping it because of its length. I've had The Kindly Ones, Helter Skelter, and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez on my wishlist (I'll have to look up that book of hers you mentioned). What's also funny is I remember watching an episode with my ma about a little town that gets covered in a dome. I thought it was so interesting at the time but never watched it again. Of course it's based off of a King book lol! I'll have to read The Terror and come back and share my thoughts. Thanks for the book recs!
Glad you liked the recs! I really do think all the books are worth reading
I finally finished Shogun and it was well worth the wait. I watched the original miniseries as a kid in 1980 and wanted to read the book before watching the new adaption. There's a beautiful hardcover available. 1300 pages. My favorite historical novel series of all time is The Masters of Rome by Colleen McCullough. They're all bricks.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Thank me when you have read it.
One of my favorites. Yes.
That one makes an appearance in my video next week "10 long books I'll definitely read one day!"
You had me at "Trash" 😂😂😂, but keen to read "The Kindly Ones". Go well Olly.
I read both the Stand and Swan Song about 25 - 30 years ago. As big King fan i have to admit i muxyh preferred Swan Song.
I am a little obsessed with WW2 so will be adding The Kindly Ones to my tbr. I really want to read both Lonesome Dove and Blackwater in future. I loved Swan Song and The Terror, two of my favorite books. I love Tarantino, cannot believe I have not yet seen Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. I also shelved Under The Dome but will definitely pick it up again in my quest to read everything by the author. Thanks for the recommendations Olly.
I am about 2/3 through Lonesome Dove and loving it. Never thought I would read a western and enjoy it but this one is totally worth the effort. And it is a relatively easy read too. And always Stephen King for the tomes is a favorite. I loved Under the Dome when I read it several years ago. I can always get lost in one of his books. I’m curious about several of the books on this list. I picked up Blackwater years ago and put it down without finishing it but would love to try it again.
I've read Lonesome Dove, Helter Skelter, Swan Song, The Terror, Under The Dome, and Blackwater, so I've covered over half the list! :) The only one I'd quibble on at all is Under The Dome, and I didn't hate it, just wasn't crazy about it.... I'd pick The Stand or It instead. But, Under The Dome is definitely worth a read. The others I enthusiastically agree about. Lonesome Dove is possibly the best book ever written, I refer to Helter Skelter all the time, and Blackwater is amazing, I'm very grateful to Valancourt for bringing that masterpiece back into print. People need to be able to get ahold of that 'un.
Thank you for the recommendations. I've been reading under 400 page books this year. I think I'll focus on the heavy bricks next year and read as many big ones I can.
Enjoy!
If this isn't just for horror/crime .... A lot of people will think I'm crazy, but - Moby Dick. The problem with this book is that the first couple of hundred pages are a drag, so no one gets any farther into it. Some years ago, I spent about 3 hrs/day commuting on the Metrolink. I used the time to read the 'long' books that everyone avoids. Besides the Tolstoy novels, I read Moby Dick. Once I got far enough into it, I couldn't put it down. I also learned where Ricardo Montalban got many of his lines in 'Star Trek - the Wrath of Khan'.
This year I read Shantaram at 936 pages. I was sceptical beforehand that it would be trashy/cheesy but it's actually fantastic. Written by a guy who actually lived the wild unique life he is describing, which is quite unusual and definitely adds something
Lonesome Dove is just sooo good!
I think I will read Swan Song next year. No idea when I will get to Under the Dome, Blackwater and The Terror but I’m taking their recommendation as golden 👍.
Another great long book thT I discovered from this channel actually, is The Drood by Dan Simmons. Great horror, characters and setting!
That is a good one!
Loved Lonesome Dove, and Blackwater is on my list. Have you read Love Songs of WEB DuBois? It’s a big one, but as long as it was I didn’t want it to end. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read
Thank you in advance for your recommendations 🎉
I agree. As i get older i tend to read more historical books and other nonfantasy or even nonfiction. It comes with reflection i think.
Enjoyed Swan Song and Under the Dome. I have Our Share of Night on my shelf. I have a lot of long books to read in my house. 11/22/63 is one. I sometimes have to psych myself up into reading them.
I’ve always loved Lonesome Dove because it mirrors my ancestors lives closely. Have read about half of your list so that leaves a good chunk to go on my tbr. Thanks!
Two favorite long books are Stephen King - IT, and Victor Hugo - Les Miserables.
I really like long books! Thanks because I had not heard of some of these!
Hope you enjoy them!
Some great stuff i need to tackle. May i add Kirstin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.
A nice variety in your list. Lonesome Dove and Swan Song are two of my favorites. Glad I read Under The Dome, but it wasn't a favorite. I enjoyed 11/22/63 so much more. I read Helter Skelter when it first came out. I'll definitely be checking out The Kindly Ones and The Terror. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you found the list useful!
Thanks as ever for your insight. I have Lonesome Dove sitting here on my desk staring me in the face. As for long non-fiction I picked up Norman Mailer's Executuoner's Song years ago and have it to the other side of me, staring me in the face...I'll probably get to Lonesome Dove first...Oh! though, Blackwater, thanks to you, and which I stumbled across in a used book store mere weeks ago, is sitting in a pile at my right foot ready to go as well. Decisions decisions.
Thank you for such a varied list. I've read four of these, Lonesome Dove is the standout of the ones I've read. That said, i have fond memories of reading a chunk of Riders on a flight to US from London. As you may know, Vincent Bugliosi wrote another doorstopper, about the JFK assasination: Reclaiming History, clocking in at 1,632 pages!
Hey hon. Bought helter skelter when it came out. Scared me and still does.
I read that one back in the 70s.
An excellent list always good to hear your recommendations. The first long book I ever read was the Stand. I was amazed how easy it was to get through and I really didn't want it to end. This was sort of a revelation to me. So now I don't shy away from long books if they snag my attention. Bleak House is a good example, which I read after Drood, another long one. I'd like to also mention Edward Rutherford. I really enjoyed his China. I have both his Sarum and London on my TBR shelf here. I recently acquired the Terror and I am currently finishing up another semi long one, Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. A fairly claustrophobic sci-fi about overpopulation. Very well written. I consider the five volumes of the Book of the New Sun to be one book. Another good one.
I really loved the mist of Avalon by Marion, Zimmer, Bradley, and the historian by Elizabeth Costova
Under the Dome was very good and I think an underrated Stephen King book. Some other long ones of his definitely worth reading are 11/22/63, The Stand and It
Nothing beats "in the search of lost time“ at +4000 pages.
Knausgard's "My Struggle" 5000 pages 😆
Knausgard's "My Struggle" 5000 pages 😆
I enjoyed Swan Song, but definitely prefer McCammon's Speaks the Nightbird. There is also kind of a spinoff series (I don't know what else to call it) off of it, The Matthew Corbett series, but I kind of stopped reading them. I would like to try them again sometime.
Lonesome Dove is my favorite book of all time! Wept like a baby
Blackwater has a rerelease ATM all the parts are coming out fortnightly! I took your recommendation and only the first one is out!
I'm jealous of you getting to read it in instalments!
The Terror - I've not read it yet, but it is about the doomed Franklin Arctic expedition to discover the Northwest Passage on the appropriately named ships the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.
It’s really worth reading
It's really good. Lots of historical fact. Sir John Franklin was from Spilsby in Lincolnshire. His statue is in the town centre. I live nearby
@@kellyshaw7271 It's covered off in Canadian history, for obvious reasons. Utterly tragic.
There was a mini series on amc about it a few years ago that was I think produced by Ridley Scott if I remember correctly and it was crazy but they added a yeti or a monster I think
@benjimancha5515 yeah that’s based on this book 😊
It might not be your cup of tea, but The eight life by Nino Haratischwili about a family in Georgia, former Russia, from 1900 until now, is absolutely brilliant and with over a 1000 pages (in dutch) definitely a big book.
My favorite long novel is "Of Human Bondage," by W. Somerset Maugham
Great suggestions!
Loved the Company.
Wasn't a dome suddenly capping an American city (New York City, as I recall), the plot of a Donald Barthleme story many years ago?
I don’t know that one, but there is a 50s (I think) SF novel called Sword Above the Night with the same premise
@@CriminOllyBlog interesting. I'll have to look into that one, and I'll send you the title of the Barthleme story if my memory hasn't failed me!
The Terror is set in the Arctic, it sounds intriguing.
Thank you, I really should have checked before filming!
I thoroughly enjoyed "Lonesome Dove". 🇺🇸☕❄❄❄❄🎄
A wonderful read
The television series was good too. A friend of mine who lives in Oklahoma went, along with her sister, to Larry McMurtrey's bookstore in Texas. They had to really plan their trip as his store wasn't air conditioned. Texas in the summer is not pleasant without a/c. They are both great readers. My friend is a great fan of "The Burger Who" series. I sent her a copy of "The Daughter of Time". She didn't care for it. She sent me a burgler book and I read the series.🇺🇸☕❄❄❄❄❄🎄
A little bit off subject maybe but I am 300 pages into a graphic novel called 'Fables'.
It is wonderful and the whole set is four and a half THOUSAND pages long.
Cost an arm and a leg, mind.
That does look quite fun!
@@CriminOllyBlog It's more than fun.
I have 50 something silver age Omnibus books and this is the best.
I picked up a book a while back by Martin Gilbert. It is 828 pages long. Elie Wiesel wrote, "A fascinating work that overwhelms us with its truth....This book must be read and reread." It is practically a day to day account of the world as experienced by the Jews of Europe under Adolf Hitler. THE KINDLY ONES is a novel that seems to tell the story off handedly without empathy or sympathy for those Jewish lives snuffed out. In the case of THE HOLOCAUST you suffer right along with those people as the extermination is recounted almost on a day to day count down. It is the most difficult book you could ever read about this horrible time. Anyone who could read this and not despise antisemitism would be beyond help as a human being. Give it a read and see what you think.
A great list!!!
Thank you!
I believe The Terror was the arctic, because, iirc, they're trying to find a passageway through, which you can't do with Antarctica.
Aha, thank you!
Monte Cristo, Shogun, Ken Follett Kings series 5 books , Lonesome Dove!!!, Les Miserables, Man called Intrepid by Stephenson, Whirlwind by Clavell,
I'm going to give Shogun a go next month!
Riders certainly has an interesting ass-patting cover. The Given Day is superb, one of Lehane's best. Thanks for the list, Olly!
I really need to read more Lehane.
@@CriminOllyBlog Everyone should read more Lehane, he does some of the most exquisite writing in his genre.
A book you might like (not a long book) is _The Man from the Train_ by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James. It's a true crime story about a string of ax murders in the United States at the turn of the 1900's.
Enriquez! 👑
I don't think anyone can criticize a person's personal book list.
I have read some of these Books. Lonesome Dove is one Book that Lives up to the Positive Reviews / Hype surrounding it.
The Book made me Mad Several times but until you Finish the Entire Book you Cannot realize that it is a Very Dark Novel. It is very well written. I think it is a realistic historically accurate Novel.
I am Glad Steven King's Novel the Stand is Not on your list it is the Opposite of Lonesome Dove. It is Not well written it is the Most Overrated Book in History.
The fift cup? by Dan Simmons? did you read? i DNFed, would like to know if anybody read it.
No; I haven’t read that one
The "deus ex machina" in "Under the Dome" is why I never read it again...
I was like , are you kidding me!!!!
Sorry, what was the last one? There wasn't a cover insert, and I couldn't understand the title.
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane.
Ooops, sorry above that. They’re all listed in the video description 😊
@@Fantumh Dennis Lehane's "Small Mercies", his most recent book is a tremendous story as well.
You were going along so well and then you had to throw the Stephen King grenade....it still put me to sleep 😴
I wonder why the book about ww2 is called the kindly ones. Chilling knowing what's its about. Heartbreaking.
It’s kind of explained at the end
Great list, Olly. I would have added Shogun to this, but I liked hearing your thoughts.
Imajica by clive barker :)
Al these books are nothing compared to “in the search of lost time“ which has +4000 pages.
I recently saw a documentary about how many professional wrestlers were influenced by Charles Manson.
I would not suggest reading Helter Skelter as Vincent Bugliosi was a corrupt prosecutor and his helter skelter narrative has been debunked in the book CHAOS which is altogether a better piece of work which is still quite lengthy but very fascinating and a great sort of answer to the many questions left behind from the Manson murders. It is a great books and I think Olly should read it and tell us his thoughts.
You are Insane!!!! Vincent Bugliosi was Not corrupt. Satanic fans of Charlie Manson push that Lie.
Vincent Bugliosi was a Great Prosecutor. Only Criminals and their fans Slander him.
The Evidence against Manson and his Family is undeniable. They All admitted to their crimes. Tex Watson said that Charlie was present at both houses and he is the one who Murdered Sharon Tate and cut her baby out.
So stop 🛑 it!!!!
BRUH U HANDSOME AND FINEEEEE AS HELL
Thank you!