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?

Bridgerton books are OK. They're no Georgette Heyer - or even Loretta Chase - but they're competent enough.

Just want to say thanks for all the suggestions!

The earths children series by Jean m auel. Very long, and quite a few of them, although the later ones can get a bit tedious

Greenwood by Michael Christie. Just finished it and found it amazing.

Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

Yes loved all of those books but the Cicero trilogy is fantastic. Important to read them chronologically - start with Imperium.

just finishing An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris the story of the Dreyfus affair. Really enjoyed this.

Another recommendation for the Deptford Trilogy. Also The Rebel Angels, filthily and hilariously addictive.

After reading it, I then collected all of the writings of Robertson Davies. I don't think I've done that for another author - maybe Hilary Mantel but some of her novels could cause a ptsd response, so I didn't keep them in the house!

Others have beaten me to it but I finally read Olivia Manning's Fortunes of war- The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy - during Melbourne's long lockdowns. Fantastic characters and I learned so much about British expats in World War 2 in places like Romania, Greece and Egypt. Loved them ( 6 books in total).

I've read - and loved- many of these recommended here.
I'd agree with A Suitable Boy, A Fine Balance, Anna Karenina, The Forsyte Saga and more, but I absolutely can't agree with the recommendation of A Little Life which I thought was absolute tripe!

Some suggestions I don't think have been made before:
The Count of Monte Cristo. You may think you know the story but it's a true epic. A funny, moving, engaging page-turner.
Also; We The Drowned. Beautiful and about a part of the world and a time I knew very little about. I'd really, really recommend and hardly ever see it mentioned.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf, it absolutely blew me away with the quality of the writing. Had to re-read several paragraphs open-mouthed. This book is the reason I'll never even try to write fiction myself.

It's historical and fun, but oh my word that woman was one of a kind.

Oops Orlando's not actually that long But in my defence, I read it slowly as I was enjoying the writing so much.

Something completely different - Justin Corbin's post apocalyptic trilogy - The Passage, The Twelve and City of Mirrors.
3 huge books - I couldn't put them down.
Horror - vampire themes.

Justin CRONIN!!

One of my favourites . I'm just about to read it again .

Justin Cronin yes! Especially if you like The Stand.

@FiddleFigs @CoralPaperweight I listened to The Winds of War based on this thread and I totally loved it, thank you. A great story and really interesting to see the German perspective of the War. I'm interested to see there's a sequel.

Just bookmarking this thread. Agree with many of the books mentioned already. I loved I Claudius too.

The strike novels by JK Rowling (under the name Robert Gilbraith).

The novels by Becky Chambers

It's not long but very immersive, the Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak.

A Fine Balance by Rohin Mistry

The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye.

Her other historical fiction is good too, as are her light mysteries.

If you’re ok with fantasy, Robin Hobb has written some absolute crackers. All her books are long but they are well written with great characters. I’d start with Assassin’s Apprentice, that trilogy is great.

I’d endorse Middlemarch and The Poisonwood Bible, the Neal Stephenson Baroque series.
I wasn’t keen on The Goldfinch as it swerved into a weird direction at the end, like Tartt wanted to tell an entirely different story.

For realistic science fiction (ie the terraforming of Mars in the near future rather that space opera stuff) Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy is great. Red Mars is the first.

As well as A Thousand Acres a PP mentioned, Jane Smiley also wrote (the enormous) The Greenlanders. It’s a sweeping epic across generations of 14th century settlers on Greenland, existing on a place where trees won’t grow, the culture and the challenges. Great historical novel.

Saigon is on Audible

And I agree about We the Drowned - brill.

Ooh the Lonesome Dove series is also superb

Long novels I've enjoyed

Of Human Bondage - W Somerset Maugham
Dr Zhivago - Pasternak
Labryinth and Sepulchre - Kate Mosse
Tanamera and A Woman of Cairo - Noel Barber

Long Series
The Flashman Papers - George MacDonald Fraser