Longest book you've ever read (Bible doesn't count)

A place to discuss your favorite authors and poets, Christian and secular

Longest book you've ever read (Bible doesn't count)

Postby rocklobster » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:33 am

What's the longest book you've read? Don't say the Bible, for two reasons:
1. It's too easy of a dodge. This is a Christian site.
2. The Bible's really more like a collection of books.
This also goes for anything else that's collected into one book. So if you've got a collection of Shakespeare plays and sonnets, don't include it.
For me, it would be Under the Dome by Stephen King or maybe Brisingr by Christopher Paolini.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I appointed you to be a prophet of all nations."
--Jeremiah 1:5
Image
Hit me up on social media!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007205508246<--Facebook

I'm also on Amino as Radical Edward, and on Reddit as Rocklobster as well.


click here for my playlist!
my last fm profile!
User avatar
rocklobster
 
Posts: 8903
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:27 pm
Location: Planet Claire

Postby Warrior 4 Jesus » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:43 am

I can't think of many. These may be the only ones:

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Stand by Stephen King
User avatar
Warrior 4 Jesus
 
Posts: 4844
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:52 pm
Location: The driest continent that isn't Antarctica.

Postby Ante Bellum » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:12 am

If I ever finish it, The Brothers Karamazov. Otherwise, I think Order of the Phoenix (Page count wise, I don't count LotR because it's more than one book.)
Image
User avatar
Ante Bellum
 
Posts: 1347
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:59 pm
Location: E U R O B E A T H E L L

Postby Warrior 4 Jesus » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:23 am

No. LotR is one story.
User avatar
Warrior 4 Jesus
 
Posts: 4844
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:52 pm
Location: The driest continent that isn't Antarctica.

Postby bigsleepj » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:48 am

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Unwise Toasting Sermon

The Sweet Smell of CAA
The Avatar Christian Ronin designed for me
An Avatar KhakiBlue gave to me
The avatar Termyt made for me

KhakiBlueSocks wrote:"I'm going to make you a prayer request you can't refuse..." Cue the violins. :lol:

Current Avatar by SirThinks2much - thank you very much! :thumb::)
User avatar
bigsleepj
 
Posts: 3432
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: South Africa - Oh yes, better believe it!

Postby TheSubtleDoctor » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:00 am

rocklobster (post: 1381718) wrote:Don't say the Bible,
You know, I will be honest and admit that I've never actually read the whole Bible. Some of those minor prophets still elude me.
Ante Bellum (post: 1381723) wrote:If I ever finish it, The Brothers Karamazov. Otherwise, I think Order of the Phoenix (Page count wise, I don't count LotR because it's more than one book.)
Wow, I waas thinking these same two. The Brothers is definately worth two reads, tho. In fact...
User avatar
TheSubtleDoctor
 
Posts: 1838
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:48 am
Location: Region 1

Postby ich1990 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:26 am

The longest book I have read is my Calculus textbook at about 10".

By page count, that title would go to The Lord of the Rings at 1216 pages. The Divine Comedy's 752 pages felt much longer, though.
Where an Eidolon, named night, on a black throne reigns upright.
User avatar
ich1990
 
Posts: 1546
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:01 pm
Location: The Land of Sona-Nyl

Postby ShiroiHikari » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:00 am

LOTR, and Stephen King's IT.
fightin' in the eighties
User avatar
ShiroiHikari
 
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed May 28, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: Somewhere between 1983 and 1989

Postby uc pseudonym » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:22 pm

Because The Lord of the Rings was written as a single novel, it is going to be the longest book for a lot of people. It comes in at 450 000 words. Even Gone With the Wind, which I always remembered as being lengthy, is only 420 000 words.

That seems like a lot, but if you look into this there are books written that are millions of words long. As much as I enjoy epics, there is indeed something to be said for brevity. The longest work that I'm likely to complete is Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, clocking in at somewhat over three million words.

For the record, the Bible is about 770 000 words.
User avatar
uc pseudonym
 
Posts: 15506
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
Location: Tanzania

Postby Valkaiser » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:18 pm

Probably LoTR.
The longest I remember at the moment is The Cryptonomicon at 918 pages.
Image
User avatar
Valkaiser
 
Posts: 205
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:16 pm

Postby Cognitive Gear » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:29 pm

Probably LOTR.

However, I remember the unabridged Don Quixote and Les Misérables being quite long. I don't have a copy of either handy to look up the pagecounts, sadly.

EDIT: Amazon tells me that Don Quixote is 992 pages, and that Les Misérables is 1280 pages. No indication on word count, despite google searches.
[font="Tahoma"][SIZE="2"]"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."

-Terry Pratchett[/SIZE][/font]
User avatar
Cognitive Gear
 
Posts: 2381
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:00 am

Postby Roy Mustang » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:47 pm

War and Peace, both the hardback edition 1,225 pages and the paperback issue that is 1,475 pages.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]
User avatar
Roy Mustang
 
Posts: 6022
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Central

Postby Nate » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:05 pm

I read Three Kingdoms which is around 2300 pages long.

Man that was a good book.
Image

Ezekiel 23:20
User avatar
Nate
 
Posts: 10725
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Oh right, like anyone actually cares.

Postby rocklobster » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:18 pm

Guess I should add Les Miserables then.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I appointed you to be a prophet of all nations."
--Jeremiah 1:5
Image
Hit me up on social media!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007205508246<--Facebook

I'm also on Amino as Radical Edward, and on Reddit as Rocklobster as well.


click here for my playlist!
my last fm profile!
User avatar
rocklobster
 
Posts: 8903
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:27 pm
Location: Planet Claire

Postby the_wolfs_howl » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:26 am

:o I'm actually tied. The Lord of the Rings is 1008 pages (minus the appendices) in my publication, and book 4 of the Wheel of Time series, The Shadow Rising, is 1008 pages (minus the glossary). Soon, however, my record will be broken, as I am now reading the sixth book of Wheel of Time, which has 1010 pages.
You can find out things about the past that you never knew. And from what you've learned, you may see some things differently in the present. You're the one that changes. Not the past.
- Ellone, Final Fantasy VIII

Image

"There's a difference between maliciously offending somebody - on purpose - and somebody being offended by...truth. If you're offended by the truth, that's your problem. I have no obligation to not offend you if I'm speaking the truth. The truth is supposed to offend you; that's how you know you don't got it."
- Brad Stine
User avatar
the_wolfs_howl
 
Posts: 3273
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:26 pm
Location: Not Paradise...yet

Postby ChristianKitsune » Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:52 pm

Shogun I think it was like 1300 hundred pages in the paper back I had...but the font was TINY. @_@
It was a really good book, had a great twist at the end :)
Then its probably LOTR!
ImageImage
Stick Monkey Chronicles
Web-Manga Hosted by: The Project
User avatar
ChristianKitsune
 
Posts: 5420
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: In my sketchbook of wonderment and puffy pink clouds! *\^o^/*

Postby Winry » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:51 pm

The longest one I am seeing on my shelf right now is A Storm of Swords (Book 3) by George R.R. Martin at 1128 pages.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Image

Phantom_Sorano 12:29 - Congrats Winry, you are the first CAA Chat Survivor.
User avatar
Winry
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:23 pm
Location: California

Postby Htom Sirveaux » Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:14 pm

The longest I've read was Stephen King's The Stand. Great book, but it took me over a year to read because I kept putting it down an picking it up again. One of King's best works no doubt, but I'd never read a beast like that again.
I tried to read IT, but I got about 300-some pages in and kept looking at how much farther I had to go and eventually just gave up. It's really good (what I read, anyway), I just wish it wasn't so long.

Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves is only about 660 pages (minus the index) but it feels really long, at least the first time through. It's one of those books that shoulde read twice. The first time there are bits that tend to drag on and seem almost superfluous, but the second time you get a lot more out of it in many ways.
Image
If this post seems too utterly absurd or ridiculous to be taken seriously, don't. :)
User avatar
Htom Sirveaux
 
Posts: 2429
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2003 6:00 pm
Location: Camp Hill, PA

Postby Bobtheduck » Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:44 am

I'm gonna be embarassed to say this, but it's Order of the Phoenix for me. I'm just not the biggest reader in the world, though I should be. Every writer should be an accomplished reader.

Nate (post: 1381799) wrote:I read Three Kingdoms which is around 2300 pages long.

Man that was a good book.


Three Kingdoms as in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?

The combination of long and translated from old text would kill me. I have a hard enough time getting through the Bible, but a romanticized (well, I'm assuming) history of China?

I've also thought about reading Journey to the West, but feel held back for similar reasons, except that AT LEAST JttW is fantasy, so it shouldn't be quite as boring, but still... Old Chinese text translated into English, all those names to keep track of, a freakishly long book... The thought is terrifying.

TheSubtleDoctor (post: 1381731) wrote:You know, I will be honest and admit that I've never actually read the whole Bible. Some of those minor prophets still elude me.


I think the only thing I haven't read now is the torah past the beginning of Leviticus, and 2 of the MAJOR prophets. I'm nearly certain I've read all the 12. It's Isaiah that's the difficult one out of the Prophets. Of course, the most difficult thing to read in the whole bible is the Torah post the middle of Exodus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs Watch this movie なう。 It's legal, free... And it's more than its premise. It's not saying Fast Food is good food. Just watch it.
Legend of Crying Bronies: Twilight's a Princess
Image
User avatar
Bobtheduck
 
Posts: 5867
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:00 am
Location: Japan, currently. Gonna be Idaho, soon.

Postby Nate » Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:22 pm

Bobtheduck wrote:Three Kingdoms as in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?

Yeah yeah. Three Kingdoms is the original novels that the RoTK games were based on. As well as a few other games.

It's pretty long, but I enjoyed it, despite some awkward phrasing (and the typos). Keeping track of the characters was, admittedly, a bit hard. However, I've been playing Dynasty Warriors games for a good portion of my life, and believe it or not that really helped me keep track of about 80% of the characters in it.

And it's not the entire history of China, just from the beginning of the fall of the Han Dynasty and the Yellow Turban rebellion to the establishment of the Jin Dynasty...so it covers about 96 years, give or take.
Image

Ezekiel 23:20
User avatar
Nate
 
Posts: 10725
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Oh right, like anyone actually cares.

Postby Bobtheduck » Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:14 am

Nate (post: 1386021) wrote:Yeah yeah. Three Kingdoms is the original novels that the RoTK games were based on. As well as a few other games.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_three_kingdoms

I wasn't thinking you were talking about the games. Just like Journey to the West has gone by a few titles in various translations, so has Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

It's pretty long, but I enjoyed it, despite some awkward phrasing (and the typos). Keeping track of the characters was, admittedly, a bit hard. However, I've been playing Dynasty Warriors games for a good portion of my life, and believe it or not that really helped me keep track of about 80% of the characters in it.

And it's not the entire history of China, just from the beginning of the fall of the Han Dynasty and the Yellow Turban rebellion to the establishment of the Jin Dynasty...so it covers about 96 years, give or take.


Ah, 96 years. So more like the Torah than the entire Bible (well, Exodus and on, anyhow)

Provided I don't die or lose brain power or memory or my sight or anything, I'll read it eventually. I'll also read Journey to the West, and Tale of the Genji (which would arguably be more difficult, since no one is named and the story is incomplete) and War and Peace and a bunch of other classic novels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs Watch this movie なう。 It's legal, free... And it's more than its premise. It's not saying Fast Food is good food. Just watch it.
Legend of Crying Bronies: Twilight's a Princess
Image
User avatar
Bobtheduck
 
Posts: 5867
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:00 am
Location: Japan, currently. Gonna be Idaho, soon.

Postby Mr. SmartyPants » Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:04 am

I'm currently slowly battling my way through The Brothers Karamazov right now...
User avatar
Mr. SmartyPants
 
Posts: 12541
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:00 am

Postby That Dude » Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:04 pm

LOTR was way up there, along with "The Complete Works Of Josephus." Though I don't know if they count or not...I think that the average book for me clocks in between 300 to 800 page count.
Image
I am convinced that many men who preach the gospel and love the Lord are really misunderstood. People make a “profession,â€
User avatar
That Dude
 
Posts: 5226
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 4:00 am
Location: Where I can see mountains.

Postby TheSubtleDoctor » Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:09 pm

Mr. SmartyPants (post: 1388837) wrote:I'm currently slowly battling my way through The Brothers Karamazov right now...
You are in for a treat, good sir. That work is probably the single greatest Christian novel ever written.
User avatar
TheSubtleDoctor
 
Posts: 1838
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:48 am
Location: Region 1

Postby GeneD » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:23 am

Lord of the Rings and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. The latter felt much longer.
I don't know what broke to make you like this, but I must be broken too if I'm standing here praising your destructiveness. -Rock (Black Lagoon)

As I had encountered kindness, I wanted to be kind myself. -Takashi Natsume (Natsume's Book of Friends)

MAL
Twitter
MOES: Promoting sane sigs.
User avatar
GeneD
 
Posts: 1969
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:43 am
Location: South.

Postby Lord Omberus » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:39 am

The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by Sir James George Frasier.

This thing was HUGE. Like sixteen inches by twelve, with 1200 pages. And the print was TINY.

Eminently interesting though. I encourage everyone to read it.
Lord Omberus
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:55 am

Postby Alcuinus » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:50 am

Probably Great Expectations... the original ending was better than the published one. :|
Deo Volente Deo non Fortuna
User avatar
Alcuinus
 
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:12 pm
Location: Midwestern US

Postby AnimeGirl » Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:01 pm

I'm not sure what the longest book I've ever read would be (alot of the stuff I read are actually pretty short). But I'd have to say, probably, Frank Peretti's "Hangman's Curse" I believe it's the biggest book I own that isn't a collection, and to some of you people, not all that long. XD!!
"For what use is there in praying if you will only hear what you want to hear." - As I Lay Dying *The Sound Of Truth*

Let's make an AMV together!

Kokoro no Uta The thoughts of an aspiring mangaka (yeah...this is my blog >.>)

Ooh look! I have fanfiction! YAY!!!!!!!
http://www.fanfiction.net/~sevencandlesticks
If you like Tsubasa and Cardcaptors, then you might like what I've written (if I didn't slaughter the series... XD)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds - Pslam 147:3
User avatar
AnimeGirl
 
Posts: 1053
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: California

Postby Mimiru14 » Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:26 pm

I'm pretty sure Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has to be the longest book I've read.
[color="Magenta"]"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."
— J.K. Rowling [/color]

[color="Plum"]"It takes an idiot to do cool things. That's what makes it cool"[/color]:thumb:
User avatar
Mimiru14
 
Posts: 126
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:59 pm
Location: the Kaleido Stage


Return to Book Corner

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 74 guests