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Original poster

Wolf Hall? I need a long, involving, but not too heavy book

68 replies

Takver · 16/03/2012 19:42

Going on a very long train journey at Easter (2 days!) and need a long and good book - suggestions welcome. It has to not be too heavy (to carry, rather than read IYSWIM). Mostly I read non-fiction so any suggestions for that also welcome, history/politics/economics my particular thing but open to ideas . . .

ps, don't suggest a kindle, I don't travel often & don't want another bit of electronic 'stuff'

OP posts:
legoballoon · 22/03/2012 21:39

How about 'The Little Stranger' - v engaging, well written and spooky :)

doradoo · 22/03/2012 21:39

Ken Follet - Pillars of the Earth and WOrld without End - brilliant stuff.

legoballoon · 22/03/2012 21:39

Oops - just seen your PS!

legoballoon · 22/03/2012 21:38

Time to get a Kindle?

SpringHeeledJack · 22/03/2012 21:38

Prrrroust??

gosh!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/03/2012 21:33

Yes, yes, yes to 'This Thing Of Darkness' and 'The Worst Journey In The World.' Two of my all time favourites.

'Wolf Hall' v annoying and not terribly well written imo.

It's not great writing by any stretch of the imagination but Ken Follet has a huge one and a sequel - have forgotten their names at the mo though.

Have you read CJ Sansom? 'Winter In Madrid' could be fitting.

outmonday · 22/03/2012 20:43

If you want Beautifully Crafted (as Wolf Hall is) read Proust.
Even poncier.

SpringHeeledJack · 22/03/2012 15:32

Takver I am more than a bit Envy of your Long Train Journey

QZ · 22/03/2012 15:15

another vote for 'this thing of darkness'- so, so well written. Just fascinating.

Ephiny · 22/03/2012 15:15

I found Wolf Hall quite difficult to get into at first, there were some aspects of her writing style (like not attributing dialogue properly for not apparent reason) that I thought were annoying affectations. But glad I persisted with it, it's a gripping story once you get going, and it is really very very well done and in a different league to a lot of popular historical fiction (which can be clunky and cliched).

Hullygully · 22/03/2012 15:08

I'm trying to picture my bookshelves and see the fat ones.

Rohinton Mistry: Such a Long Journey is great

Hullygully · 22/03/2012 15:06

Another one is The Northern Clemency Philip Hensher v gd and long

Hullygully · 22/03/2012 15:05

I loved war and peace (more than Anna K), just have to speed read a bit through the long war bit...I read it TWICE

I have just finished Dorothy Whipple's They Were Sisters. I can't recommend it highly enough. Marv marv marv

SpringHeeledJack · 22/03/2012 14:23

Hully I read War and Peace at a ruff holiday resort. I had to hide it under me sunlounger lest someone out me for a ponce

[ponce]

SpringHeeledJack · 22/03/2012 14:22

oooh

'ark at 'er

Anna Karenina is more gripping, ime

oh! I've got another loooong one- the Worst Journey In The World by Apsley Cherry Garrard- one of the youngest members of Scott's Antarctic expedition- the doooomed one. It's not what you might expect- short on jingoism, heroism and the like- but full of a sort of ironic gloom. And funny, too. I love it

Hullygully · 22/03/2012 12:24

second wolf hall, aplogs, lacuna etc

but would also say war and peace, if you've never read it. fabbo.

aliciaflorrick · 21/03/2012 09:34

Not as high brow as any of the books over here but Driving over Lemons by Chris Stewart is a lovely story about a British family starting life in Andalucia - was written a fair few years ago now but I loved it. I went to the same part of Andalucia as the book and it really made my holiday special.

mummytime · 21/03/2012 09:11

I would recommend any of Sharon Penman's Histories. Or New York or one of the other novels about a city by Edward Rutherford. Or The Siege by Helen Dunmore (although this book made me feel very hungry when I read it).

strawberrypenguin · 21/03/2012 09:03

The book thief by Marcus Zusak, I loved it and found it very easy to read

Floozycat · 21/03/2012 09:01

Perhaps you could take a look at 'Cutting for Stone' by Abraham Verghese. It is amazing! It stayed with me for such a long time after I read it and prompted me to contact the author, who is a medic in the US, as well as a writer. He is now a friend of mine on Facebook! It's simply beautiful!

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0099443635

seriouslytwisted · 17/03/2012 09:38

Wolf Hall is wonderful - the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn told from an entirely new perspective - and I defy any woman not to fall in love with Thomas Cromwell. The only downside to this book? It's not always obvious who is talking - there are an awful lot of Thomases in the book, and Cromwell is often referred to as He, but not every He is Thomas Cromwell.

Another long book I would recommend is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

Easy to read but very, very long - A Suitable Boy by Vikram seth (but not one to lug around whilst travelling)
Yes, Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel and Collapse are excellent, but only if you like non-fiction (which I do, but not everyone appreciates)

Original poster
Takver · 16/03/2012 20:34

DilysPrice I loved Guns Germs & Steel (and also Collapse), so anything along those lines would be great. Unfortunately though I think the S J Gould is something DH would give me to 'improve' me.

OP posts:
Roseformeplease · 16/03/2012 20:29

Sarah Dunant
The trilogy set in Renaissance Italy. I absolutely loved the one about the nuns but can't remember the name.

AllotmentLottie · 16/03/2012 20:27

LadyoftheLift - agree on The Lacuna too. Tried to get into it, and just couldn't. I don't usually fail to finish books (even Wolf Hall!).

Portofino · 16/03/2012 20:27

I not long finished "That Woman" about the Duchess of Windsor which I found very interesting. And the Diamond Queen by Andrew Marr. I have also just got on my kindle the Jackie Kennedy account of her time in the White House....the memoirs have been put together by her daughter....though I can't remember what it is called....

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