Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week is a FREEBIE week, meaning we can choose our own Top Ten topic, whatever strikes our fancy.
I came up with a bunch of ideas, but then thought I’d keep it simple and go by the numbers — in this case, page numbers. I can’t say for sure that these are absolutely the ten longest books I’ve ever read, since it was hard to be certain if I was always comparing similar editions. For consistency’s sake, whenever possible, I’m using the page count from the mass market paperback edition, just to get an apples-to-apples comparison — but I can’t be 100% sure that I’ve always picked the right version. So let’s just say that my figures are using the *close enough* standard…
Without further ado, here are (according to Goodreads) ten of the longest books I’ve ever read:
1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1,463 pages)
2. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (1, 443 pages)
3. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (1,439 pages)
4. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin (1,177 pages)
5. The Stand by Stephen King (1,167 pages)
6. Shogun by James Clavell (1,210 pages)
7. War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk (1,056 pages)
8. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (1,038 pages)
9. Hawaii by James Michener (1,036 pages)
10. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1,011 pages)
Honorable mention: In some cases, it was really too close to call. Depending on the edition, I could also easily have included:
- A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin
- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
- It or Under the Dome by Stephen King
- Alaska by James Michener
- The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George
- The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye
What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? Let me know if we have any of these HUGE books in common.
And hey — what was your freebie topic this week? Share your links, please, and I’ll come check out your top 10!
NEW THIS WEEK! I’m starting a new Wednesday Feature… please come back tomorrow and check it out!
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Bookshelf Fantasies 
wow! as in WOW! I have Les Miserables in my TBR and I am now thinking twice if I will not read it any more because it’s toooo long. I should be ashamed. Right.
By the way, you may want to read the Ten Books I am Dying To Read:
http://wp.me/p4ZhSl-dZ. 🙂
Ha, nothing to be ashamed of! Les Mis is huge — I read it years ago when I had moved to a new town, hadn’t found a job yet, and had time on my hands!
I admire your reading skills. Like really. 🙂
*blush* Thanks!
You’re welcome! 😀
I have still yet to read any of the outlander series, though I should know it off by heart thanks to a friend I have,
For my Top Ten Tuesday FREEBIE I decided to da: Authors I Have Discovered Through Goodreads (http://mooneyesrandomsmile.blogspot.ca/2015/09/top-ten-tuesday-authors-i-have.html).
LOL, I could probably be one of those annoying friends who makes sure everyone in her vicinity knows all about Outlander! Thanks for sharing your link. 🙂
Wow, you have read some crazy long books. I have been meaning to read Gone with the Wind forever. And I have never read Stephen King (crazy, right?), but The Stand is still on my TBR because of all the rave reviews.
Here is my top ten list: http://bookbinges.blogspot.com/2015/09/top-ten-tuesday-top-books-i-need-in.html
What, no Stephen King? He’s so brilliant. I do need to re-read The Stand, actually, because I read it so long ago that I only remember the vaguest outline of the story.
Great topic, Lisa. 🙂 I salute you for reading Les Mis AND Gone With the Wind – those two are beasts!
Ha, in both cases I was inspired by other media to read the books! I read GWTW after seeing the movie, and I read Les Mis before seeing the musical on Broadway. 🙂
I’ve wanted to read outlander series. But they are so long , 9 books, each like 800 pages or so. It’s so intimidating! Gone with the wind is also on my TBR. Great list!:)
The 1st Outlander books isn’t nearly as long as the others, so you could start there and see if you like it! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Sure! 🙂
WOW, those are really massive books! How long did it take for you to finish them? I’ve also read the GRRM books and Jonathan Strange, as well as books by Sanderson (The Way of Kings) and Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series), who were not shy to pass the 1k mark at all. I always loved them thick books, makes the experience longer and sweeter 🙂
Some of these went really fast — the Outlander series books, I pretty much read straight through with as few breaks as possible, so I’d say about a week!
Omg!!! Holy crap!! That’s crazy!!! I’m bowing down to your amazingness!! I didn’t even think they were allowed to print books that long!! It would take me the better part of a month to finish just one of those books! I think the longest book I’ve read would probably be like 800-900 pages I don’t think I’ve ever read one over 1000!!!
Ha ha, it’s amazing what you can get through when you’re in between jobs (Les Miz) or on vacation (GRRM and some of the Outlander books)!
I still think it’s amazing! Maybe that should be one of my new goals challenge myself to read a book longer then 1000 pages!
But only if it’s something you really, really want to read! Otherwise, it’s just a chore, and where’s the fun in that?
Wow I can’t believe you have ten! Great job!
My TTT
Thanks! Of course, it’s ten over many years of reading, not all in a row! 🙂
I’ve tried Les Mis and I keep getting distracted – I think I’m halfway through Marius right now (I may need to go back to the beginning, since its been over a year).
We are the same on the Diana Gabaldon books (I’ve read the 2 you listed, plus your honorable mention)
other books – Kushiel’s Dart was a longie that I read and loved – I keep meaning to pick up the rest of the series, but haven’t yet. I also have lots in the 900-1000pg realm (Middlemarch, Pillars of the Earth etc)
One of these days, I WILL read Middlemarch! I keep waiting for my book group to pick it, but I may end up reading it on my own instead. What can I say, I love the Outlander books and have read them all several times by now!
Middlemarch was my metro book last year- i read one chapter to and from work each day, before i moved to my kindle – i think it took me about 3mths
I have les Miserables on my TBR, and this summer I read “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel”, which is in your honourable mentions. The longest book I’ve ever read was probably the Lord of the Rings trilogy – my edition contains all three books, is in hardback and weights approximately a hundred tons.
Check out my TTT !
Ha, your three in one LOTR book must be a beast! Thank goodness for e-readers – they really reduce arm strain. 🙂
The Stand and Gone with the Wind- awesome!
I’m waaaay overdue for a re-read of The Stand!
Shogun was over a thousand pages? It’s been so long since I’ve read it, I totally forgot xP I’ve only read that and A Storm of Swords. Great list! Go you for reading these massive titles 😀
My TTT
I know, I’d forgotten how huge Shogun was too! (Hurray for Goodreads stats 🙂 ). I don’t necessarily set out to read massive books… but there is something so satisfying about getting to the end of something over 1000 pages.
Very nice list!!! I have so many big books still to read!
Thank you! They make great vacation reading. 🙂
Fun list! I’ve read The Stand and The Witching Hour. I’ve made it about halfway through Les Mis and Gone with the Wind, does that add up to one book? 😉
Ha ha, I think that counts! I was really surprised that The Witching Hour ended up on my list. I really didn’t remember it as being abnormally long, but I checked and rechecked, and I guess it is. 🙂
I was thinking the same thing when I read your post. It’s been so long, but I didn’t remember it being that long either!
You’re one awesome reader! I can’t even start page 1 of Les Miserables lol. My first ever entry for this will probably be GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire… That is of I finish it.
Aw, thanks! Les Mis is a real beast to read, I have to say. I happened to read it at a time in my life when I needed something huge and complicated, but I’m not sure if I’d ever give it a try otherwise.
I think Under the Dome is the longest I have read, probably second to 11/22/63. I need to read Game of Throne and Outlander though – they are both on my shelf. Great topic and thanks for sharing!
Under the Dome is so awesome! I loved that book, and 11/22/63 also. Outlander is amazing, and the first book isn’t even all that long. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I haven’t read any of these. Goodreads tells me that the longest book I’ve read so far is A Game of Thrones which I hated and then didn’t continue with the series. Then it’s the Harry Potter books.
My list
Good point about Harry Potter — the Deathly Hallows was a really long one!
Very impressive Lisa! I’ve read Gone With The Wind and Outlander, they took me a while but I enjoyed them.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Lately I have to really psych myself up for a longer book, but it’s always so satisfying in the end.
Wowsers. I’m always nervous of longer books, I think to myself that I could read about 4 books in the time it would take for me to read one monster length one, then I decide not to risk it in case the book is bad. But I have started reading the Outlander books, so I’m definitely making progress haha.
Cora @ Tea Party Princess
Oh, well, if you’re reading Outlander, then all is well! 🙂
I’d be hard pressed to think of all the books that I’ve read that would fall under this category. I’m not good at remembering page counts. Like The Witching Hour. I devoured that book when I read it. It didn’t feel that long. The Stand was another fairly quick read despite its size. I haven’t read any of the other books you mention other than Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I don’t think my copy came out over 1000. I started Les Miserables years ago and was distracted by all the college reading I was required to do. Someday I would like to start it again. Great topic!
Thank you! It was hard to be really exact on the page count — so for Jonathan Strange, my hardcover is under 1000 pages, but the paperback edition is over!
those Outlander books ARE crazy long lol My TTT
But so worth it!!!
The Outlander Series is awesome. Gotta Love Diana Gabaldon’s writing.
Here’s a link to my TTT post for this week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2015/09/top-ten-tuesday-my-list-of-favorite.html
Yes, absolutely! (I seem to include the Outlander books in almost every TTT list that I write!)
You, overachiever, you. You deserve a huge round of applause. I’ve always wanted to pick up Les Miserable, but the size is very intimidating.
Ha, it’s true, Les Mis is huge and scary. I read it years ago while unemployed and in a new town. I literally had nothing else to do!!!
You have read some awesomely long books. I love that Gone With the Wind made this list. The whole reason I picked it up in my grade school library was because it was the biggest book I could find. 🙂
The longest book I have read so far this year is Cress by Marissa Meyer.
I think the longest book I have ever read is The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) which is just shy of 1500 pages.
Thanks for sharing!
Amanda
That’s a great reason for reading GWTW! 🙂 I’ve never read The Count of Monte Cristo. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! And I thought the 800-something page book I read this year was long. I don’t know if I’ve read a book over a thousand pages. I binge read series that add up to lots of pages, does that count? Lol. I don’t mind long books if they’re good, but I’m not a DNFer. Once I start a book, I almost always finish it, so I’m picky if I’m going to start something long. Here’s my TTT 🙂
What 800-page book did you read?? LOL, I think binge reading a series should definitely count! I’ve become more of a DNFer in recent years — just not willing to spend my time on something I’m not enjoying. Thanks for stopping by!
It was actually a self-published book (I know, I took a chance considering the length lol, but the ebook only cost me 99 cents) called Fallocaust. Definitely not a book for everyone though. It had some good things that made it worth the read, but it wasn’t a series I continued. When it comes to DNFing, I feel like all the time I already spent reading would be wasted if I stopped, but, if I finish the book, even if I hated it, it doesn’t feel wasted, and it might end up redeeming itself or have something in it that makes it worthwhile. It’s an uncommon perspective, I know lol.
This list is impressive. I think the longest book I’ve read is one of the Harry Potter books (whichever was the longest. haha). I am in awe of you. 🙂
My TTT
Leslie
I don’t know, maybe I just have too much time on my hands? 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your link!
I thought for sure I was going to open this post and not see a single one I’ve read. lol Yay! I’ve read 3 of them! (The Outlanders and the GRRM). I recently put Shogun on my list because it sounds fantastic. All others are also on my list except for Hawaii so I’m going to have to check that one out. Super anxious to read The Stand but I’m reading a few other Kings before I dive head first into that one. 🙂
Ooh, if you like Shogun, you could check out the 1980s mini-series (Richard Chamberlain!) after you read the book. Soooo good (in my memory, but who knows? could be totally cheesy now).