To ask for recommendations for a really long amazing book?

[theotherfossilsister]

Something I can immerse myself in. I like historical fiction (Wolf Hall and BUTB, The Crimson Petal and the White, All the Light We Cannot See) but open to anything big and brilliant and immersive.

Oh I also love The Cazalet Chronicles which were recommended on here, and really enjoyed I Claudius despite thinking it would be dry (it wasn't dry.)

Any recommendations please?

A little life.

The Eye of the sun and the Map of Love by Ahdaf soueif

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley is very good.
A retelling of King Lear in the Midwest, won the pullitzer prize.

I'd also recommend Alone in Berlin by the same author. Not an easy read but very much worth it.

Anna Karenina

Pachinko!

The Pursuit of Happiness and A Special Relationship. Both by Douglas Kennedy. Not highbrow though.

Haven’t checked the whole thread, but The Crow Girl by Sund (a pseudonym for two Swedish writers) is nearly 800 pages and is brilliant Scandi noir, published in 2010. It has innumerable twists, and is a very dark whodunnit, where you think you know the murderer from the start.
i liked it as it was the complete opposite of usual crime books. The victims are male, the detective female, ditto the psychologist, and it covers some fairly grim territory such as paedophilia and rape as well as murder, but not at all in a lurid or sensationalist way.

Edward Rutherfurd writes historical epics - I have read China (really enjoyed, and don't usually go for history-heavy books) and I am now finishing Paris.
The latter features both a map and a double-spread showing family trees, it's that kind of book...

I agree about A Littleife - it's full of very over the top sexual abuse and has a ludicrous ending.

Kudos to whoever mentioned Testament of Youth earlier - it's utterly fab, reads like a novel, and is all true.

Typo: A Little Life

Brilliant thread, thanks for starting it OP.

Old but good - The Dreaming Suburb and The Avenue Goes to War by RF Delderfied two books but same characters.

Some great ones here, agree especially with

Testament of Youth
Wild Swans
Pillars of the Earth series
A Suitable Boy

I would add the Dreaming series by Manda Scott (Boudicca story) and Mary Renault’s series about Alexander the Great.

I came on however to say A Little Life is AWFUL. Misery porn which seems to revel in piling horrors onto its (rather unbelievably talented and virtuous) main character.

Oh drat, all my points have already been made !

I loved Poisonwood Bible until the last ? quarter, when it went downhill with the more recent years. (IMHO) Although it's years since I read it.

To add to This Thing of Darkness, A Fine Balance, Follett's Century Trilogy and Kingsbridge novels (Pillars of the Earth is one, there are three others), A Dance to the Music of Time, Vanity Fair, The Crimson Petal and the White, all of which are brilliant...

Saigon, by Anthony Grey. I think it's out of print now but it's an amazing epic set in Vietnam (obvs). 749 pages.

Anna Karenina

How long is long?

just finished “where the crawdads sing” and it was honestly one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I read a few books a week.

Definitely The Stand by Stephen King
Also The Far Pavilions by M M Kaye

Fabulous!

A Place of Greater Safety Hilary Mantel The Tudor novels are wonderful but for my money this one is wonderfuller!
It's the story of Danton, Robespierre, and Desmoulins and their involvement with the French Revolution.

Stephen King, The Dark tower series.

I was enjoying the Game Of Thrones books until I made the mistake of watching the series when it got massive and it's spoiled it somewhat. If you've never seen the show, do the books.

Can anyone recommend the Bridgerton series? I wasn't aware until recently that they were books first and wouldn't mind it for a bit of a change, unless they're drivel.