Long books

I meant Donna Tarry,

Reading got me through lockdown 1 and also this one. I love a long book but I struggle with the weight of some books. In bed my hand gets numb from the carpal tunnel, I have to stuck to a slim volume but otherwise if I like a book I don't care how long it is. I have read some of your recommendations and will follow them up. Never read Donna Tarry, that's one to look for. Btw my kindle cannot change its font.

Nothing wrong in having different views to other posters either on books or any other subject on GN.
I have loved the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel Blossoming and just about any book by Kate Atkinson.
My new discovery is Diane Setterfield, particularly ‘Once Upon A River’.
A favourite book is Winter In Madrid by C J Sansom, although am not keen on his historical detective books.
The Shell Seekers ( a long book) by Rosamunde Pilcher is a good read.

Not a case of fitting in Blossoming we are never all going to agree on things like books and films that's what makes it interesting. I find Dickens quite tedious with his long descriptions but others find this one of his strengths.

I love long books. Authors include Ken Follet and Edward Rutherford. Historical novels are my favourite. They are especially good on long plane journeys and very lazy holidays.

Georgette Heyerdahl was a favourite when I was in my teens, plus Victoria Holt and Susan Howatch.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Blossoming

I guess the world would be a very boring place if we all had the same tastes. The friend who recommended The Goldfinch to me is an architect, living in Boston, with whom I share many interests. We both love the way she evokes a sense of place.

Are there any books you particularly like lemongrove and SueDonim? I’m always on the lookout for recommendations.

Did you mean long books or any books? I mentioned The Son by Philipp Meyer. The Cazalet saga by Elizabeth Jane Howard consists of five quite long books. If you want long non-fiction, then a biography of Florence Nightingale by Mark Bostridge went on and on (she was a v busy woman)! Also, Pandemic 1918 by Catherine Arnold is a long read.

Oh well, I guess the GN Book Forum is just another place where I don’t fit in, byeeee

I love audio books. My eyes get to tired after a couple of pages. I listening to mine most days. Currently listening to one called Knitting. An unusal story but very enjoyable. I listen whilst doing my knitting or if there is noting i fancy on the TV. I have to be careful if i am tired though as sometimes the soothing sound of being read too can make me doze off then i have to try and go back to a section i recognise to find out where i was!!!

I agree about Donna Tart lemongrove I think her books need serious editing as well.

Blossoming

I guess the world would be a very boring place if we all had the same tastes. The friend who recommended The Goldfinch to me is an architect, living in Boston, with whom I share many interests. We both love the way she evokes a sense of place.

Are there any books you particularly like lemongrove and SueDonim? I’m always on the lookout for recommendations.

I too have an architect friend living in Boston ! Strange.

We had a good laugh at our book group about this. One of our members was often overwhelmed at how long some books were! We giggle now that some of her favourites have been the longer ones!

I struggled with The Goldfinch and think it needed a good editing - about 300 pages worth!

However I loved A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

I think for me as long as the plot is moving along, or if it is a saga, the different parts add to the whole. I enjoyed Sarum by Edward Rutherford, for instance.

I guess the world would be a very boring place if we all had the same tastes. The friend who recommended The Goldfinch to me is an architect, living in Boston, with whom I share many interests. We both love the way she evokes a sense of place.

Are there any books you particularly like lemongrove and SueDonim? I’m always on the lookout for recommendations.

Sorry * Sue Donim* x posts.

Blossoming

I love Donna Tartt’s books. A friend recommended them to me a few years ago. Definitely not too long ?

I think just the opposite, well written and at times boring, all her books need serious editing IMHO especially The Goldfinch.

Exactly what Eazybee says, it’s not long books in themselves, it’s long books that need a good editor!

One which comes to mind is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It could have lost 25 or 30% and been a better book.

Otoh, I’ve just read The Son by Philipp Meyer, which is about 600 pages, and not one of them was superfluous.

I love nothing more than settling down with a good long book. I read quickly so like to have something to get my teeth into. Two of my favourite authors write quite lengthy books, C J Sansom and Diana Gabaldon. I don't like books of short stories always seem like something and nothing.

I read ‘The Mirror and the Light’ also during lockdown. I had a bit of difficulty holding it as it was so big. But I persevered because the book was excellent .

I read Troubled Blood as soon as it came out and I've just re read Miss Pym Disposes. Interestingly I found quite a lot of similarities in the way they write, something about the characterisation I think. I loved all 900 odd pages of Strike because so much of it was set in either Cornwall or Clerkenwell. Even the Italian church got a mention. I started lockdown reading The Mirror and The Light which was another doorstop of a book and I love C.J. Sansom's Shardlake novels which are pretty thick.

Yes also love Donna Tart's books, well there's only 3 so far in about 20 odd years, but loved "The Goldfinch" and also remember really liking "A Secret History" but I read that a long time ago.

I love Donna Tartt’s books. A friend recommended them to me a few years ago. Definitely not too long ?

I’m a quick reader, so my objection to long books is that they’re too fat and heavy to read in bed.
I recently read A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth - which I’d avoided before because the book is not just fat but positively obese - but I read it on the Kindle.

I recently bought The Little Friend by Donna Tartt, from a charity shop - a rather fat one and the font is tiny! That’s where the Kindle is great - you can adjust it.
However it’s gripping me so far, so I’ll definitely persevere - but with a very good reading light.

Oh I loved “gone with the wind “
And “the thorn birds”
And “100 years of solitude “
And “ captain Corelli’s mandolin”
All long books, but these days of Covid I struggle with long books.

Apologies I should have typed Blossoming, not Blossom

i love reading, i have to use a kindle and it does not tell you how many pages...lol, i read about 3 chapters and if i can't get into the book then i ditch it, some authors take too long to get to the point and make the book longer than it needs to be, if i read a heavy intense thriller i then read a light romance/family saga type of book, if you are going to judge a book by how many pages it has, then you might miss out on some great fiction ...lol

I've just read your comment Blossom about the weight of some books, this one is rather heavy, I can almost see the sense of a Kindle in such circumstances.