Long Books Worth the Commitment

Books Mentioned:
East of Eden - www.bookdepository.com/East-of...
Review - • East of Eden | John St...
The Cider House Rules - www.bookdepository.com/The-Cid...
Review - • The Cider House Rules ...
American Gods - www.bookdepository.com/America...
Review - • Video
The Crimson Petal and the White - www.bookdepository.com/The-Cri...
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[@fartbug55]

east of eden is my favorite book of all time. I will be buried with it.

[@anaylanderos2890]

I’m just going to begin reading East of Eden this month, I’m beyond excited to see what it has in store

[@fartbug55]

@@anaylanderos2890 i promise u won't be disappointed :)

[@bobmarley6161]

Fantastic book

[@anaylanderos2890]

satanlovesyou I just finished reading the book, and there is so much I want to say about it, but even if I were to find the correct words to express myself, it wouldn’t be enough.

[@fartbug55]

@Zaid Israel that's such an invasion of privacy :( mind ur business

[@ZanahoriaBaila]

Steinbeck has these short, one two punch books, and then these humungeous masterpieces, and they are all knockouts that you just can't put dawn

[@kyosantofu]

FINALLY! I found a youtuber who doesn't rave about YA bullshit. Thank you for not jumping on the bandwagon. I love your recommendations!

[@therobin980]

Judging people for what they read is immature and stupid. You are not interested in reading ya ( I'm not either tbh) but that doesn't give you the right to just call all of them stupid. Can we just stop this "I'm better than you because I read classics/ "real books" thing"? It's really annoying

[@alb0zfinest]

the Robin A genre of books could be trash (and in fact they’re). It’s like saying reality tv is the pinnacle of cinema. Obviously there is some room for subjectivity, but not everything is subjective. This post-modern philosophy of everything is relative is stupid as hell and just as it’s so easily asserted abstractly, it too can be dismissed in a similar fashion. Very lazy. Should people be judged for reading YA? No. Are they still reading trash and should they be making better life choices? Yes.

[@sumikatti]

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet is massive, but I loved it so much! It took me almost two weeks to read it even if I read it every night. But I was so glad to pick that book up every evening...couldn't wait to get back to that story.

[@karenkoutsoumbaris6308]

Thank you so much, loved it and want to read these! I loved Jane eyre , Anna karenina, and the bronze horseman!

[@heathersnow9540]

Thank you so much. I’ve had such a hard time finding someone with reading tastes close to mine on book tube. There’s more YA than I would like 😬 a lot of your favorites are also mine so I trust your recommendations

[@Aramsam-Sam]

Thanks for the encourgement to pick up East of Eden. I plan to read this, but somehow am still daunted inspite of having read and loved Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row.

[@rosiereadsbooks6223]

Big books can be quite daunting to read! But, I can sometimes find I connect with a long book more than I might do with a shorter book..maybe because you spend more time experiencing it and exploring it's characters. This has definitely made me want to get round to reading East of Eden! I really enjoyed both 'Of Mice and Men' and 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck.

[@juliarose3235]

please do the Neil Gaiman video! That would definitely be helpful because I'm so confused as to where to start

[@Marexxtube]

I came to this video (like i come to most vids tbh) not expecting to see books that were on my favourites list and yet I was surprised to hear you talk about American Gods !!!!! It is honestly an amazing book that got me hooked at 13 when I was still learning English (although I was fairly good at it since I got through the whole thing without much trouble). Neil Gaiman has written such an amazing universe and it's great to see other people appreciating him ! It surely is on my reading list for 2017 (I wanna read it again to understand it more fully tbh). Love your channel !!

[@literarydiversions]

I am so, so much as bad as you! I used to find big books really intimidating but somehow had a 180 in the past six months and I'm now happily devouring books that I could easily use for door stops! I am really excited to read The Cider House Rules - I think I've said before but I have Owen Meany and will start there but Cider House is really high on my to-buy list afterwards! My favourite longer book has always been The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. The twists, turns, misdirection and the epistolary style just makes it whizz by! I am going to be doing a reread soon because I love it and haven't picked it up in forever.

[@katrinaandallthebooks7993]

I loved three of these and one (Irving) I've been meaning to read for years. Gone with the Wind is over a 1000 pages and I raced through it.

[@juliequick5526]

Such a good topic and well presented. I have picked up All The Light We Cannot See in the last couple of days, having been intimidated by its size and reputation. It's not as long as the examples you show, but is still a weighty tome. Covers that don't appeal to me can also stop me wanting to pick a book up. I like to enjoy the look and feel of my books and hence I don't get on well with e-readers. Does anyone else feel the same?

[@karenkoutsoumbaris6308]

Thankyou great review, loved it

[@lifebyjo3999]

Jane Eyre definitely. But I've heard of the books you recommended so I'm excited to read them

[@robertamesse3980]

Hello, Lesley! On my 43rd birthday (1993) a friend gave me a copy of Imajica by Clive Barker. 800 + pages of teeny tiny print. That book scared the B~Geezus outta me. I'd never really read Science Fiction. BUT since it was a gift, I couldn't give it away. March of 2021, fully engulfed in the COVID times I finally picked it up. Finding myself 71 years old, after 100 pages the font did me in. SO! I bought the Kindle edition! WOW! What a terrific read!! AND in the midst of that read, I came across your channel! Thanks, Lesley!

[@WordsofaReader]

Love this, Robert! Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@CarlyUTube]

Just found your channel. American God sounds great. I have to find my East of Eden. I've had that book for years and have never read it.

[@ThePoptimist]

Absolutely - booktube and it’s (self-imposed sure) weekly schedule can often make me a little hesitant to dive into a big book as well. Coincidently reading The Crimson Petal and the White right now! Lucky to have big stretches of time to devote to it but loving it so far!

[@browngirlreading]

I hope to get to The Crimson Petal and the White and Wolf Hall next month. Great idea for a video!

[@CarolynsReadingRamblings]

Of these, I have only read American Gods, but I completely agree about that one and Cider House Rules will be my next Irving (and first in like 10 years which is sad) so excited for that. A Neil Gaiman video sounds like a great idea!

[@Martusia26]

loved loved loved crimson petal and the white. totally agree about dedicating time to it though

[@aczurera6456]

"Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clark (a style reminiscent of Austen and Wilde, if they had written fantasy). Hilary Mantel's Cromwell books or "A Place of Greater Safety" (HM is one of the best historical fiction writers of all times). "A hundred years of solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez is also an absolute joy.

[@thereadinglist_]

Great video! I want to read American Gods because I love Neil Gaiman he is incredible. This makes me really want to pick up now!

[@alltheshelves9142]

I've been thinking a lot about longer books recently. I am sometimes afraid to pick them up because I don't want to get halfway through and realize I don't want to keep going. I've read all of these, though, and for the most part I really liked them! I like the amount of detail that all these authors were able to fit into their books (especially The Crimson Petal and the White!). And I think it's really satisfying to be completely immersed in longer stories like these. I think my favorite (longest!) read is Lonesome Dove.

[@booksandpieces]

Perfect nail/book cover matching with East of Eden! I didn't even know there was a preferred edition of American Gods - now I'm wondering if I read the original one because it was an old one from the library. Hmmmmmm.

[@harrypotterlover9941]

I just subscribed I love your videos

[@1book1review]

Well said. I have some big books I flew through, like American Gods, and didn't mind. What's been keeping me lately is all the other things I have to do and that take up so much time that there is little time to read. And I think there is nothing worse than reading a big book in small chunks.

[@AlyssLysie]

I only got like halfway through east and Eden but I ended up putting it down. Maybe I should pick it back up.

[@BookNomming]

I have read the short stories for the Crimson petal and the white and want to read the actual novel now. Would love a Neil gaimen where to start video :)

[@Maren617]

Wonderful recommendations, thank you! My recent favorite was The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton - over 800 pages, but I never wanted it to end! So beautifully written - it won the Man Booker in 2013 and is set in Victorian New Zealand during the gold rush era. Have you read it? What did you think?

[@ofbooksandtrees]

Yes! American Gods is so worth it!

[@nutshell93]

I actually sort of avoid longer books because I get bored really easily and always get bored 3/4 in so most of the longer books I read I mix it up and listen to it on audio. But, I'm currently reading The Book Thief and am speeding through it! I'm halfway done and I've only been reading it for two day (note: I'm a very slow reader) I don't know if it's the writing style or the fact that WW2 Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres but I honestly thought I wouldn't like this book because of its length.

[@bbSouthstreet]

I'm in the middle of Stephen King's It. I have a travel size edition which is 1,473 pages. I started reading it last week and I am breezing through it. Such a page turner and it always leaves me wondering what happens next. Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, did you ever think of doing a "Stephen King: Where to begin" video?

[@GeorgeMillerUSA]

bbSouthstreet Have tried _The Stand: Uncut_ and _11/22/63?_

[@VanessaButtino]

I've read all of these except for American Gods and I can personally attest to their greatness! Great picks! I think my favouirte book out of the bunch would have to be The Cider House Rules.

[@camipeterson6683]

Just finished Crimson Petal. Wowsers, I didn't even notice how big it was. So engrossing, love the characters - flawed as they are. And she's right, you have to dedicate some time to read a good chunk at a time, but you'll find yourself reluctant to put it down.

[@romesdiniz5235]

Hi there. Among many other long books, I especially liked Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, by Ken Follett and Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. Great video as usual. Thanks. Romes

[@OMGitsSeppie]

I don't know if you have already made a video on this, but I would love it if you could recommend great books by Australian authors. I'm half Aussie, and would love to read some of the celebrated Aussie novels - I'm currently reading Patrick White. Thanks x

[@MiBariloche]

Hi! I was wondering, have you read The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett? I'm re reading the first book (The game of kings) to refresh my memory and to continue with the series. I remember loving it 😉

[@drunkenlibrary]

I love Neil Gaiman. American Gods was the first of his I read, and it hooked me.-Sam

[@juk2023]

reading big books whilst having the audiobook to dip in and out of inbetween makes it easier and more enjoyable for me

[@MsLadyCritic]

I do this with most books. I find reading this way incredibly enjoyable and allows me to read in situations where it wouldn't normally be possible. Like while driving. Lol.

[@autumnrosedearborn8923]

Judith Kent That's a great idea!

[@toddsqui]

Great video and thank you for sharing advice on long books! Stephen King's "It" I thought was super easy to read. Also Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," even if I did not fully agree with her political point of view, since the story goes straight to crazy-town toward the end. Thanks again!

[@bookwormboy3104]

What I do when reading a longer, more intimidating book is I read a big chunk of it (usually a few hundred pages). And then I take a break from it and read a shorter book. And once I'm done with that shorter book I can come back to the massive one with a fresh mind. One huge book that I got through in a short amount of time was A Lost Pearl. That one really had me turning the pages the first time I picked it up.

[@thelittlemrs]

Almost finished reading East Of Eden, might missed out not reading it in original language. Thought it was good but didn't knock me out like GWTW did/still do. Thinking about going for Grapes of wrath :)

[@whoreforlore4878]

I have The Crimson Petal and The White and I would definitely recommend it. I absolutely loved it and is one of my favourite historical fiction books. I just really enjoyed the way it was written.

[@finnianreilly1831]

I thought the BBC series was fantastic and have wondered if reading the book would add anything significant to the story. Does it elaborate on, for example what happened to Sugar in America? Or did the story finish before she gets there.

[@joannoriol6444]

Wally lambs books are very long, but truly excellent, yes all of them!

[@ReadwithStefani]

You convinced me, I shall read American Gods :D

[@hollyforsyth6536]

"Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood is another long book which reads really quickly, and is a fictionalised tale of a true story about murder and the following legal trial. Great if you're into both historical and crime fiction. I absolutely loved East of Eden, and The Grapes of Wrath is likewise a longer read that's quite quick.

[@tinkerspell4850]

I miss loving long books. I don't know what has happened with that. But, I grew up reading Stephen King's doorstops, and Charles Dickens novels. :) I also loved the Luminaries. I didn't like, and hardly even remember American Gods. I would like to read the Cider House Rules. :)

[@usmanghani9515]

I used to read classics mostly which were easy to get in the library but as soon as I try to read current fiction, its not easy to get one from library. And two weeks are not enough for me for such a long book. Out of these four, I think I would go for American Gods. Though all of them seem very interesting.

[@epiphoney]

Speaking of John Irving, I tried The World According to Garp. But it was more like plot summaries instead of a novel. I gave up about halfway.

[@markbaumbargt3430]

Two problems: the first is that I'm a slow reader so it can take me forever to get through a big book, and the second is that I have OCD and if I start a book I have to finish it whether or not I like it. Also, so many long books seem so padded.

[@ssamorgan2044]

I prefer longer books to shorter ones. My favorite authors of longer books are Diana Gabaldon and Ken Follett. There are also a few others, but I purchase and read everything by these two authors.

[@mudpuddles]

Does East of Eden involve memory loss by any chance?

[@ashleyf5315]

I'm currently reading War and Peace... it's great so far, but I can't believe how long it is.

[@jesunfiltered1652]

If you like books that kind of take you through the whole life, I encourage you to read The Magic Strings Of Frankie Presto. It was an absolutely beautiful book, and was told from a very unique perspective.

[@arthurfleck5826]

Last year, I read 4 3 2 1, by Paul Auster. I love it. It is the second longer book that I read. It is wonderful. It is worth reading.

[@utterlyuncool4914]

I actually prefer longer books they are the first that I am drawn to. And if they are really good I think they are the most satisfying reads!

[@stews9]

Bleak House by Charles Dickens is spectacular and quite long.

[@wrinkleintime4257]

I’m currently reading IQ84 by Haruki Murakami and it’s 1157 pages 0-0 It’s the longest book I’ve ever read and it’s technically 3 books in one. It’s pretty good so far!

[@deckiedeckie]

Like your way of getting into the subject....Read The Icelandic Sagas!......One Hundred yrs of solitude (Garcia Marquez)...one can tell when an amerikans chooses books....mostly the call the same ones....

[@kelsey1406]

It kind of amazes me how many discrepancies there can be in book length. My copy of East of Eden is just under 600 pages.

[@Forceprincess]

Neil Gaiman!!!! YES!!!

[@LifeBetweenWords1]

This was great - I've been meaning to pick up East of Eden and The Crimson Petal and the White. I've read American Gods and had really mixed feelings about it; I know I'm in the minority. While it was wonderfully written, I just had a hard time with how dreamlike it felt (even against his other books that also felt very dreamlike). Maybe it was too weird for me, I don't know...

[@utubeviewer2550]

+Life Between Words The idea/concept of American Gods was brilliant. It's just the pacing was off for me and I really couldn't relate to or care about Shadow !

[@LifeBetweenWords1]

Utube Viewer Exactly!! That is exactly how I felt!

[@bunkerbill]

The grapes of wrath is better than East of Eden in my opinion. Both good though.

[@JulianVMsan]

long books?? well, I liked Ana Karenina, The brothers Karamasov, The Pillars of Earth, 1Q84, The Way of Kings, among a couple of others more. I think long books are scary, but as you say, they deserve to be read. It's just... it doesn't matter if they are so long, as long as they are great, then it is worth.

[@valpergalit]

Two words: Infinite Jest

[@taniwalters4999]

Undergrad Lit Review I am sooooo intimidated by that book. It’s been on my Wishlist for years but I always chicken out 😂

[@deckiedeckie]

The Foundation Trilogy....Asimov.....The Dispossesed Ursula K LeGuin....