Ten Hard Books I Want to Read (But It’s Fine If You Don’t)

In today's video, I'm diving into the challenging reads I've set for myself this year. These aren't your average page-turners; they're the kind of books that demand a little extra effort.
I'll share why I've chosen these books and what I hope to gain from them, and why I feel like they might prove to be a challenge.
Whether you're looking for inspiration to tackle your own daunting reading list or just curious about what makes a book 'hard,' this video is for you!
Inspiration for this video came from the following channels
‪@ToReadersItMayConcern‬
‪@ThatReadingGuy28‬
‪@BookishTexan‬
‪@materiagrix‬
‪@BenjaminMcEvoy‬
Come say "Hi" online:
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👨 Facebook: / paperbackjourneys

[@4034miguel]

The count of Montecristo: It is a page turner! I read it in two days because I could not put it away.

[@paulgarrett7347]

600 pages a day?!?

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Wow 2 days? That's rapid!!! I envy your reading pace.

[@4034miguel]

@@PaperbackJourneys It is completely the book's fault. I could not put it away and I was on vacation.

[@broby06]

🧢🧢🧢🧢🧢

[@markgaskell5370]

I hope you returned to it and read it properly after that. So many people think it's a flex to say they have read great books quickly but it's the fastest way to miss swathes of detail. The great books should be read and re read over the long term, so you can live them

[@carolmock6035]

I’m 79 years old and autistic. 19th century literature saved my life by allowing me to understand a bit about how neurotypical minds and bodies work. War and Peace was the most important. I began my summers, junior high through college, with a complete reading. Tolstoy seemed to cherish every human being and every human experience.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

My father's advice for Russian literature was to write down each character's name the first time you encounter it and add the other parts to it as they come up. First name, nickname, patronymic (-ovich for men, -ovna/evna for women), surname, and titles because the same character can be addressed different ways based on the other characters' relationship to them. So Grand Duke Andrei Ilyovich Rostov might be call Dre by his parents and sister, Andrei by his wife or mistress, Andrei Ilyovich by his cousins, in-laws, or friends from school, Grand Duke Andrei by a member of the Royal family, and Grand Duke Rostov by his business associates or distant acquaintances. Having a chart to reference can help immensely. I loved Crime and Punishment but found Brothers Karamazov more difficult. Either way, I hope you love it or at least find it thought provoking.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

At some point, try Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I consider it the best English language book of the twentieth century.

[@KarenTookTheKids364]

I remember reading Crime and Punishment at 28 and having an existential crisis. It was the first book I'd sat down and read properly in about 15 years since reading the LOTR trilogy. I realised I'd wasted 15 years of my life NOT reading.

[@lukegallegos8523]

IMHO quite possibly the best book I've read.

[@sylviaowega3839]

I read both, Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” and Tolkien’s LoTR, and greatly absolutely loved both.

[@coyoteartist]

I can't even imagine not reading. I can't even stand to eat lunch or dinner without reading material near by.

[@hunteremery2825]

If you love both of those books, you should check out Dr. Peter Kreeft. He is a philosophy professor at Boston College and is coming out with a book soon about the greatnest and beauty of those two books.

[@kkrishna6001]

I think no one ever forgets this book...and how it makes you feel, in their entire life. You have to read it to understand what I'm saying.

[@matthewschreiner3094]

The Brothers Karamazov is potentially the best book I’ve ever read. Super rewarding! Good luck on your journey!

[@littlelemoncurd6191]

The Count Of Monte Cristo is my favorite book of all time! I got so invested in trying to find out how he was going to exact his revenge without any casualties who dont deserve anything to happen to them. I promise it gets more interesting after the first 200 pages. Once you hit that mark youre gonna be golden! So good.

[@MaliciousChickenAgenda]

I love it! I think it’s a fantastic story with fascinating characters 😊

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

My da introduced me to The Count of Monte Cristo right after I'd read The Three Musketeers when I was 10. I loved it. I reread Dumas in French when I was in college. They're my better in French.

[@littlelemoncurd6191]

@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 I have The Three Musketeers too but have yet to read it

[@ChaseGallagher-jh4oy]

Infinite Jest is challenging, dense, and the kind of book you need multiple bookmarks. Loved it when I finally got through it but it took genuine effort.

[@Zek-nc5tr]

Blood Meridian is absolutely astonishing. Not read anything for a while that made my jaw drop like this did. Perhapa even the best writing Ive ever come across.

[@jays2551]

it really is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. which is (prolly intentionally) ironic considering the subject matter. it's also one of very few books that actually had a lasting effect on me and how i look at the world. years later, i still think about it constantly. it's both beautiful and ugly, simple and profound, and a whole bunch of other adjectives that I can't think of right now. hands down my favorite book of all time, there's just nothing else like it out there. at the same time though, I understand that it's not for everyone.

[@carlatate7678]

Love your list! I read Moby Dick in Feb and it is totally worth it. The chapters are short. Read it a chapter or two at a time and experience it. It's remarkable.

[@delacroix3721]

Listening to the audiobook is how I was able to complete Moby Dick after a couple previous attempts and I’m so glad I did. It does help if you love ships and don’t mind learning about the whaling industry. It has my absolutely favorite final line in a book, beautifully melancholy and haunting.

[@lisaredwine4857]

The book about fish in the middle defeated me.

[@carlatate7678]

@@lisaredwine4857 Just keep reading. It's an amazing, strange book.

[@thomasceneri867]

Don't be intimidated! Do what I do: I look up everything that I don't know historically or a word that I'm not familiar with, and I love doing that. I have a master's degree and I also feel that my education could have been a lot better, mostly because of how lazy I was. My comprehension and reading has greatly improved with my age.

[@laythefoundation2083]

I appreciate this comment on every level

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Thanks so much for the encouragement. I appreciate it.

[@Poohtle]

I did the same with Les Miserables. I thought I had quite a good vocabulary until I read it! Luckily it was on kindle so I could just click on look up. It took me a month as I wanted to take my time and savour it. No point rushing a good book.

[@sarahloomis2034]

Annotated editions can be helpful for this too

[@lytalo]

If you get thru Cantebury Tales, try The Decameron, a collection of stories about 7 women and 3 men trapped in a villa outside Florence hiding from the Black Death. Written in 1353.

[@marthacanady9441]

The guy is Ben McEvoy. He is marvelous.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Agreed Martha. I think he's going to be a very useful resource for me.

[@sidcollinsiv]

@@PaperbackJourneys I cannot speak highly enough about Ben McEvoy. His videos are, to me, like getting an English degree. Obviously in the most positive way possible. His Patreon is well worth the subscription.

[@kintrap5376]

My personal advice regarding Infinite Jest is to just focus on character and plot. I think people get bogged down with all the end notes and details and clues (which are all fantastic to get into!) but might be better suited for a second reading. I say embrace a little confusion and stick with the personalities that are so beautifully developed :) Nobody can get it all on the first go-through, or at least I sure didn’t.

[@thexshattered]

I’ve been wondering if Infinite Jest is difficult to read using an ereader. I won’t be able to quickly flip through the “pages” so I’m thinking I really need the hardcopy?

[@lindenm.9149]

I’d recommend a hard copy. The flipping through the end notes is vital to the experience in my opinion (3x read it’s one of my favorites). There is a lot of end notes that further the story and I’d say it is worth it to read them the first go around.

[@ryanbartlett672]

Count of Monte Cristo is my #1. Joy. You will get the main point, and the nuance will come on future reads (time for my #4 in fact!)

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thanks for joining in on the fun! Your selection is excellent, particularly in terms of choosing difficult books that don't vie merely to be difficult; rather, their difficulty stems more often than not from just requiring focused attention. If any readers opt to read the books you suggest here, they will have learned something vital about reading generally, the merits of focus and of opening one's expectations. I do have some advice about Infinite Jest (if you don't mind unsolicited advice): I recommend reading Brief Interviews with Hideous Men first. That's how I got started with David Foster Wallace, and I found that Brief Interviews offers up the various technical tricks of Infinite Jest but at a more manageable length and register, making for a smooth transition, mentally, into DFW's dense, despairing, enlightening magnum opus of Infinite Jest. All the best, bud!

[@davidsnyder2818]

I started and stopped House of Leaves before it finally clicked on my 3rd try. I was staying in a cabin in remote central Maine in the US and the atmosphere just made it work. Instead of hiking and fishing like I had planned, I read the book in about 2 days and was completely terrified the whole time. It was incredible. I highly recommend reading the accompanying Pelican Poems and Three Attic Whalestoe Letters if they are included in your copy.

[@dbzgeck]

Started reading A little life a few days before I saw this video. It’s so good. Yes it’s challenging in the fact it jumps back and forth to different perspectives but the one character is the central focus of the story. It has so many emotions. You will like this one for sure.

[@skullfullofbooks7398]

Oh good luck with House of Leaves! It made me learn that I cannot do long footnotes. My brain can't handle a page of an interruption and then continue. I gave up after 2 tries at it

[@Blake4625kHz]

I too live in a van down by the river😄

[@buttercup_bravo]

It took me a very long time to read House of Leaves. I gave up and went back to it multiple times before I finally figured out a way to read it that worked for me. It's interesting and I like the unconventional style, but it wound up not being for me, even after investing so much time and effort to read it.

[@valliyarnl]

Thank you for being so vulnerable! Great list, as always :)

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Thanks! Yeah, sometimes I get imposter syndrome and think "Who am I to review books?" but I think as long as I'm open about my perspective, and the fact that I'm just some bloke who likes geeking out about how much I love reading, I feel much better about sharing my opinion.

[@krazyketo5148]

I've read House of Leaves a few years ago and it still haunts me. Lol. It was definitely a challenge, and the story is wild, but the format is maddeningly difficult at times. Currently I'm reading Shōgun and that book is also pretty difficult. It's a good story, but the way it's written and having so many characters, it can be hard to keep track of it all. But, I'm really enjoying it. And I like how the author incorporated Japanese into the book as if you're learning it along with Blackthorn.

[@michaelchandler490]

A great quest you’ve set for yourself. Congratulations!!

[@Littlebiglibrary]

Thank you for reading these books and saying that we don't have to. Because, I have zero interest in any of these books. I appreciate it so much that I subscribed to your channel. !

[@PaperbackJourneys]

HAHA! Yeah I don't blame you. It's a bit of a departure from the types of books that I usually talk about on the channel and I'll certainly keep reading my beloved Stephen King and other Sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. I think I'll just be mixing in some of these heavier books too. Thanks so much for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoy the videos.

[@Littlebiglibrary]

@@PaperbackJourneys Sounds like a good plan and I look forward to it. -James

[@karlgoerz6181]

Fascinating list, we are at very similar reading levels. I have read three on your list, pulled two more off my shelves to be read, and have noted the other five for future purchase. Thanks!

[@PaperbackJourneys]

That’s great to hear! It sounds like we’re on a similar journey with these challenging books. I’m glad the list was helpful. Happy reading!

[@BiggestApple]

Don't think you'll find Canterbury Tales overly challenging. Granted, I read it many years ago but aside from the language, my enduring memory was how funny and charming it was.

[@darkwing_don2391]

I think your observation is on point. I realized about three tales in that I didn't enjoy the travelers' stories at all and moved on to another book. If you enjoy those though, you can get through the language.

[@joannemoore3976]

We did the Wife of Bath's Tale for A Level. Her tale is quite short and her prologue is very long, she is a right character, she's wonderful 😂

[@braedenjones762]

I'm super happy to see that someone is interested and talking about The Brothers Karamazov! I had to read that one for class in my senior year of high school, but it turned out to be my absolute favorite book that I have ever read. It covers so much emotional and philosophical ground that it legitimately changed the way that I see the world. Blood Meridian is great as well, but I personally struggled to follow what was going on some of the time.

[@alexbillyparkin1]

I am a massive fan of House of Leaves. Thank you for including it in your reading list. You're plan to dedicate 10hrs a day to reading is brilliant! This book needs, almost requires time, focus, and sometimes a deep dive in to Google. For anyone out there who hasn't read it, I recommend going into to cold. No spoilers. No Wiki. Just step into it and see where it takes you. Some thing to know, it looks like you may have picked up the "full color" edition, which is likely the most available copy. ( look into the lore of the books publishing for more details on this). If you would like to take your reading and engagement of the book a bit further, I'd recommend finding a hardbound copy as there will be something additional to interact with. Best of luck. This is not for you. much es sein

[@alolandonaldtrump8368]

yeah nah im not reading any book that requires me to look up stuff on the internet just to understand it. If a book cant capture my attention on its own without requiring me to do external searches it isnt a book worth reading.

[@kritiandsiddharthaswedding]

​@@alolandonaldtrump8368what a silly and conceited way to live. "oh I will always know all I need to know, God forbid I learn a few new things"

[@nieja6238]

I've already read it and would love to know what more is in the hard cover copy

[@stevepayne5965]

I read it a few years ago and thought it was an interesting plot ruined by up-its-own-arse pretentiousness. In the hands of a good writer who's more interested in story rather than showing off it could have been great.

[@scott09g96]

Im just over 300 pages into Infinite Jest. First time reading it, and It. Is. DENSE! But, when it hits, it HITS. Im loving it so far. Just be patient and take your time and I think youll manage just fine.

[@skullfullofbooks7398]

I loved Moby Dick! It is one of my favorite books! Count of Monte Cristo was a wild ride and you will be on the edge of your seat when things get good! It is a little long though. I have to read Infinite Jest still but it has me blocked so we are working on that. Classics and "hard" books can really surprise you. I read War and peace last year and loved it so much I was shouting in my car about some drama as I listened to the audiobook.

[@marytoken3557]

Oh what a nice selection!! I am so looking forward to the reviews of those books, especially Infinite Jest. (Haha could relate a lot to the „down a pint education“, I’m not from England but from Bavaria;)

[@franceenwebb9003]

I hope to change your mind about your regrets in terms of your basic education. I taught for 32 years and came to believe that we introduced great books too early. The life experiences you bring to THE BROTHERS K and other books on this list will deepen your enjoyment and appreciation in ways that a teenager could not perceive. Bon voyage as you wrap yourself in these new worlds. Your list gave me a couple of new books to read.

[@jamcarnage]

You have a few of picks that match my own! Infinite jest, the Whale and Count of Monte Cristo. I have read House of Leaves and Blood Meridian, both of which are amongst my most revered books to date. I didn't find House of Leaves to be as taxing as many imply, granted it was presentationally atypical, but the language was not so difficult and it's story is superb. Blood Meridian was a more demanding read for me, the prose is dense and beautifully written, but the punctuation, particularly around speech is unusual. I had to learn to slow my standard pace to get into it (interestingly using the advice of Benjamin McEvoy!) and I'm so glad i did. Looking forward to seeing more from you and thoughts on your experiences!

[@Praire22]

The Count Of Monte Cristo is my favorite novel of all time. Edmond Dantes imo is the best written character in all of literature. Absolutely phenomenal book. You definitely have the best translation. The Penguin edition. Very easy to read and understand. I truly hope that you start reading it soon. I get so excited for the reader who begins it because I KNOW that the experience will be extraordinary for them😊

[@piperspurpose3005]

It's my favorite, too!

[@Praire22]

@@piperspurpose3005 I waited years to start this book because I was so intimidated by the length and I wasn’t particularly into revenge stories. Oh how wrong I was! Absolutely spectacular!😊😊😊😊

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

Some of these were already on my TBR and now I’m adding several more. House of Leaves has me the most intrigued, so I’ll definitely be seeking that one out soon. The idea of being terrified enough to need to get it out of my house has me very eager to dive in and find out what that’s all about. 😅

[@Rickraff87]

I first read House of Leaves when I was 13 years old. I picked it up just by the cover at my local bookstore and it’s been my favorite ever since.

[@TheGratefulDeadhead]

Moby Dick was the first classic I ever read. I read it when I was like 8. I constantly revisit it and am about to embark on my 4th rereading.

[@themachine300]

I basically just started Blood Meridian, probably why your video got recommended. So far it has really drawn me in by the way he describes the landscape, it’s almost biblical. Some parts are a bit confusing because of the punctuation and style but if you take the time to look things up it comes together. There is also not infrequent Spanish dialogue but this just adds to it. The writing is really great.

[@bad-girlbex3791]

Infinite Jest is absolutely hilarious. Don't be put off by the length, it really draws you in and it went from being a book I never thought I'd ever read - mistakenly presumed it would be too densely allusive to enjoy - but ended up loving just how much of a treasure hunt it turned out to be. I loved that there were words I'd never come across sprinkled throughout, found some very eerie predictions of how modern life has turned out, genuinely laughed out loud at many points and found the parts that involved (this isn't a spoiler in any way) people in rehab, very honest and sympathetic without being sentimental. It is a very 'involved' book that you need to spend a bit of time unwinding all the footnotes, glossary and think about why JFW chose certain words, but it really is worth it. The only thing that wasn't amazing was the ending, but it doesn't really take anything away from the enjoyment. It's a riot and I hope you enjoy it. Chaucer will do your head in if you don't have some kind of supplemental material on hand to help you through it. Even reading it aloud, Middle English can be so different to modern English that it's hard to even find the root of what the word is you're trying to understand. (Yes, even when reading out loud). Out of all the books you've listed here it's the one which will probably test you the most - even more than Moby Dick, because as long and dense as the entire back-history of the whaling industry is, at least the words are those you can comprehend. It might be worth looking for some online lectures or classes by English professors who can help you find your "in" to it. And if you're picking just one of the Canterbury Tales, 'The Wife Of Bath' is pretty fun. She was a proper character. A classic English battleaxe! Good luck! Bex P.S: I have Monte Cristo, Little Life and Goriot on my TBR too, so I'll keep an eye out for your future videos of these. 👍

[@thomasceneri867]

Prepare yourself for A Little Life!!! A challenging book (very challenging!) for me was The Recognitions by William Gaddis.

[@darylsegrest4494]

I just picked up JR by him. I’ve been looking for the recognitions since I finished Moby Dick last year, but I refuse to buy a new copy. Do you think it was worth the read?

[@thomasceneri867]

@@darylsegrest4494 Try your local library. Also, last year (or the year before that) they rereleased it, so there may be more used copies around. I got mine from the library. Yes, it is worth a read and perhaps a reread (for me, anyway). I did not “get” all of it, for sure. I don’t know if you tried this book websites, but there’s Thrift books, Abebooks, Alibris, WOW (World of Books), Pango (they give you a $5 coupon when you first join for used books), and, of course, Amazon. Good Luck!👍 PS - there’s a copy for $23 on Thriftbooks and one for $21 on Amazon (both are paperbacks).

[@noelmaher6218]

​​@@darylsegrest4494 Gaddis is a fantastic writer. The biggest problem with The Recognitions is it's length. I got through probably less than half of the approximate 25 hour plus audiobook version. I was very impressed by the quality of the writing but there are just so many sub plots going on. He should have just focused on a few characters and themes rather than overwhelming readers. How many people gave up just through the sheer size and lenght of the work. If he had written three shorter novels he would probably have gained an audience rather than staking everything on this giant behemoth of a book. I believe after the "failure "of The Recognitions he didn't publish anything for over ten years. He's way up there with Saul Bellow, very similar style. The audiobook is actually on KZbin and the narrator is brilliant, really bringing it to life. You can find guides to the themes and characters online also, but it's a pretty human book with lots of humour.

[@Starrysong]

I have started a few of the books on your list, but have only completed A Little Life. A Little Life was a two year project for me, because for one I didn't own it, and for 2, I got to certain points where I needed to put the book down and read something happier. I finished it in 2020, during lockdown and it had me in tears. I am not usually someone who cries at books, but this one left me emotionally bereft.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

That sounds like quite a journey you had with A Little Life! I'm expecting it to be incredibly moving. I appreciate hearing about your experience-it definitely sets my expectations for the emotional depth of the book. I'm a cry baby when it comes to books at the best of times lol.

[@KnowledgelostOrgOnline]

This is a great topic, I too wish, I had more of a reading awakening when I was younger, I feel like I discovered reading way too young in life. From your list of books, I hope you get a chance to read The Brothers Karamazov, I loved this book and the way that each brother explores a different philosophical ideas. I've also heard that the new Michael R. Katz translation of The Brothers Karamazov is amazing. A lot of these books sounds like essential reading us pretentious people, I fully support reading Infinite Jest, House of Leaves, etc for pretentious reasons

[@hollyc4624]

Great list! I have several on the list that I have either read or want to read. I’m looking forward to your thoughts on each of them, starting with House of Leaves.

[@severianthefool7233]

Your channel rocks man! Really glad KZbin recommended it. If I may be so bold as to suggest a couple other daunting, but extremely rewarding reads- Robert Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, and William James’ “The Varieties of Religious Experience”. And don’t worry- the latter isn’t a religious book, so much as an examination of divine or transcendent personal experiences on the individual level Blood Meridian and Moby Dick are two of my all-time favorites. Some scholars (including Ben McEvoy!) draw a straight line from Shakespeare to Moby Dick and finally to Blood Meridian

[@BookishTexan]

Glad to see Pete Goriot on your list. It is one of the books that made me a fan of Balzac.

[@Crizzybooks]

Infinite Jest is that book I keep saying I’ll read one day but never do. I started it a long time ago and just couldn’t stick with it.

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Good luck with what you choose to rad. I hope you get some great stories.

[@billcook4768]

That’s an awesome challenge; I’m impressed. But a couple of those go beyond challenging yourself into punishing yourself. As for books that I found challenging, but ultimately rewarding… anything by Faulkner.

[@skunke2290]

The most challenging book I’ve ever read is The Concept Anxiety by Sören Kierkegaard. I’m trying to read more and more philosophical books, just to expand my horizons and soon I’m going to read Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche. I think it’s gonna be a tough one but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless! I also want to get into Dostoyevsky. I have The Brothers Karamazov but I want to read Crime and Punishment as well as Notes From The Underground. Great video as always! :)

[@thefuturist8864]

If you’re going to read Nietzsche, a good companion is ‘How to Read Nietzsche’ by Keith Ansell-Pearson. He was my teacher at MA level and his grasp of Nietzsche is unparalleled.

[@ErebosTerror]

YOU NAILED IT. It wasn't until I read "Seveneves" that I wondered if I could have done better in school.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Haha! Those humbling moments come along for me every and now and then.

[@kristinmarra7005]

Loved loved loved Seven Eves

[@OverlyAverageBen]

I completely echo your thoughts on British schooling! Going to uni, I found myself having to play catch up on certain texts and still have such enormous gaps lol. I feel like I cheated with Moby Dick because I read Billy Budd, Sailor by Melville but I do eventually want to get to Moby Dick. Fantastic list!

[@Tensytheneedlesmith]

My adult son and I both read Infinite Jest this year (he finished and I'm still working on it) and you definitely need to read the footnotes and keep a dictionary handy, his use of esoteric words is unbelievable! Brilliantly weird. We are hoping to pick a classic book each year to read together. Loved this topic and seeing your selections. I have read most of them (I'm old, lol) but I'm still working through my "want to read" of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. I remember reading Cantebury Tales in high school and we acted out some of the stories aloud in front of the class. My parents had three daughters and my Dad was always giving me "boy type" books to read and The Count of Monte Cristo was his favorite, so he gave it to me in high school and we both loved talking about it together. I can't say I enjoyed being dragged to see Western cowboy movies with him as much, lol.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

What a wonderful tradition to have with your son! Reading and discussing books together is such a meaningful way to connect. It sounds like you had a similar relationship with your Dad so it's cool you're passing it on. I’m looking forward to tackling Infinite Jest and its infamous footnotes. Thanks for the encouragement and for sharing a bit of your reading history-it’s inspiring to hear about your diverse experiences with these classics!

[@morganelizabethreads]

I have The Count of Monte Cristo on my tbr shelf. Found it at a free library in the grocery store I go to. It's the longest book on my tbr by like 300 pages. Not sure when I'll get to it as the length definitely makes it intimidating!

[@jamesbunch8932]

Slowly mucking through Proust. Leaving done students in a summer test through of Brothers K. That book is ready to read. Goes down like a glass of water, but sprouts inside you.

[@Ajoe5810]

Best wishes for a great challenge result. Milton and Chaucer poetic epics are fun and solidly illuminating. Russians tend toward depression time for me... Dumas a winner!

[@kinuuni]

I feel you. I grew up in a city and neighbourhood where ... Shall we say my neighbours were drunks and their daughter often came by to eat with us. For a variety of reason I was a strange and meek child and I grew up in my own world, not fitting in and was most happy when my classmates ignored me, because any attention I got was rarely positive. For all that though, it afforded me that formal education. I was the first in my family to finish upper secondary and I ended my educational journey with an MA in Historoy and linguistics. Sometimes not fitting in can have benefits. I have only read 5 out of the 10 books you showed (though I just bought House of Leaves) and none of them were not as part of a Uni course, so kudos for wanting to tackle them on your own. The best advice I can give you in reading these books is get the annotated versions. It will add context that is often omitted. Often times great classics are great classics because they reflect the times they were written in. As an example, I just read Norwegian Woods by Murakami, because I like to torture myself. The books is, as most of the books you present are, literary fiction. It is basically an allegory for the youth movement that failed back when Murakami was young and it reflects the social problems with intimacy that the Japanese society has. To that effect, the characters feel a bit like cardboard cutouts and often nor particularly likeable or even relatable, and that is because they are, in fact, card board cut outs. They are stereotypes and each reflect a particular "archetype" within young people in Japanese society. What makes it a classic is the fact that all if this critique still holds true today. Murakami manages to capture something truly essentila about his society and has some very bitter and poignant things he wants to say. The problem is that you need to know all of this in order to undertand what you are reading and why it is good. I have never read Murakami before, simply because the people who read him in the west tend to be the pretentious types who do not understand how to read literary fiction or even what the point of it is and yet they still, in an attempt to sound clever, pretend like it is the best book they have ever read. And that is a bit of a turn off for me. And maybe in some cases the story itself is in fact good (that is not the case for the surface story of Norwegian Woods btw, it was torture to get through ....). But often times it is a bit like people who watch Citizen Caine and claim that it is the best thing ever, not knowing that the reason it is seen as the best movie ever made is because it is basically a cinematic version of every single area of study you come into contact with on first year of university of you study film and media. The point is, get the annotated versions that gives you the context that you need in order to fully understand them. Often times that is not even enough (in the case of Fyodor Dostoevsky I would urge you to read up in Russian literature late 1800's as well as get a bit of a feel for the Russian history of the time, namely their relations to the rest of Europe, as well as the philosophical ideas leading up to this point. Dostoevsky is hard to read. Unless you really do just want to rad the surface level. In which case it is just a boring and at times a bit of a baffling read.)

[@chrismccormick9959]

For the Canterbury tales: read it in the original Middle English, there’s really no substitution for the original poetry. And having an understanding of English prosody, especially iambic pentameter, will be an immense help in reading and understanding the Middle English. It’s a steep learning curve but I picked it up rather quickly.

[@CliffsDarkGems]

An excellent video! I think it is important to stretch yourself and I wish you the best for this challenge. Infinite Jest looks seriously intimidating. Paradise Lost was required reading for me at university, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales where you meet the characters before they set out on their pilgrimage, would love to hear your thoughts on the entire book. I DNFd House of Leaves, but to be fair, I was very young at the time. I loved The Road and would love to read more Cormac McCarthy. Blood Meridian sounds very dark!

[@smokymtnknitter5184]

I have the same copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, and hope to read it soon. I read the first couple of pages, and it seems really interesting. House of Leaves is a trip, but once I thought about it, I realized the format makes sense in a screwy sort of way. My husband gave me the side eye a few times when he saw me turning the book to read sideways or upside down text, lol! I just found your channel and subscribed. Great list! Vivian

[@onewayturtles]

The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite book. Just make sure you get an unabridged copy.

[@meursault7030]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Blood Meridian. I've been psyching myself up for House of Leaves recently, too.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

So at this moment in time I've actually finished House of Leaves. This video was recorded a couple of weeks ago and since then I've finished it. I enjoyed it but it was sooooo weird. I hope to read Blood Meridian sometime in the next few months maybe. Thanks for the comment.

[@dianewulkopf7535]

I have read parts of the Canterbury Tales, it's one of those books I keep telling myself I'll read later. I have read Moby Dick in high school English class. I have read Paradise Lost. I admire you r determination to read these difficult books, some I've never heard of. Looking forward to views of your progress.

[@trudejensen8512]

I read Pere Goriot last year, and it was great. "Hard" books I recommend, that are worth the "struggle"; The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann and Essays by Michel de Montaigne.

[@m.i.miller8008]

Loved The Magic Mountain..excellent read.

[@yaeli_i_guess]

i love infinite jest. my favorite book of all time, as well as a little life. both have changed my life immensely, in different ways.

[@noahwelch2931]

I bought the B&N edition of Count of Monte Cristo! I can’t wait to read it

[@thexshattered]

I thoroughly enjoyed Brothers Karamazov. The translation I got made it quite easy to read. The real challenge for me was getting through the entirety of the text, just because of its length. The Russian names were intimidating to me at first but the text mostly uses their nicknames, which are much shorter and easier to remember. I read House of Leaves years ago and the first part (in conventional paragraph format) really did give me an eerie, weird feeling. The rest of the book, I just blazed through though, so I couldn’t fully appreciate it. I’m planning on reading it again one of these days though. The most challenging book I read was Dictionary of the Khazars. A relatively short book but its format is dictionary entries that are related to 3 different variations of religion. You can read it in any way you like (front to back, jumping back and forth between entries, alphabetically, etc) and you’ll have to stitch together the narrative yourself since it doesn’t tell a clearly linear story. Quite interesting to read. I had to make an Excel file to organize the dictionary entries because I read them based on how related each entry was to another.

[@helenwindmill809]

Ive just found you.hooray!!😊A little life is great and although very emotional is easy to read.Looking forward to more of your channel.Thanks.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Yayy, you found me! Helen I've been waiting for you to show up! HAHA. I know I'm going to cry like a little boy when I read A Little Life but I've heard great things.

[@marinaradovac7580]

I would highly recommend reading Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern! We read it as part of our studies in college and it's wild.

[@davedoes7467]

First time I’ve heard of House of Leaves, thank you. Count of Monte Cristo isn’t particularly challenging as previously mentioned but it is long read😂. Some parts you will fly through and other parts can drag a little. Anyone who loves The Road deserves a sub 👍

[@NovelFindsByKassi]

This is a great list of difficult books! I personally didn't find the cast of characters in The Cont of Monte Cristo difficult. I'm deffo interested in what you think of House of Leaves!

[@danjones4811]

If you end up liking Milton, you'll probably love Blood Meridian -- also, try Dante, it's worth learning Italian to read it (Charles S. Singleton bilingual edition with commentary from Princeton UP)

[@susanneill7142]

Hello!! I’m new to your channel. Great list! I read The Count.. when I was a kid & remember really enjoying it. I read it so long ago that’s it’s on my TBR list. Moby Dick is one of my fav books. It’s true that Melville digresses rather frequently from his plot but IMO he was a genius so all it is worth reading. I also think it’s an allegory about America’s rapacious desire to conquer the continent, AKA “manifest destiny.” I also love C McCarthy esp The Road, which I actually think is a better book than Blood Mer but BM is def worth reading & great. My fav Russian is Chekhov & I’m not a huge Dostoyevsky fan tho I have his big ones on my TBR, along many by Tolstoy. Thanks!! 😊

[@marnasorensen988]

Infinite Jest is a wild ride. It's so exceptional it doesn't seem long. The Count of Monte Cristo is wonderful. I'm trying to get brave enough to read Russian lit and will definitely rely on Benjamin Mcevoy for help. I admire you for challenging yourself. It's never too late to learn. It's so good for us! I hope you'll let us know how you fared.

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

I read War and Peace when I was 13. I found it very helpful to keep a list of names and nicknames for each character.

[@cantonlittle]

The Brothers Karamazov is my favorite book! My recommendation for helping with names is to change them from Russian and Anglicize them. Russian names can be confusing and I recommend writing them down (if you want to memorize them). I highly recommend reading it! A practical reading tip I use is to keep a reading journal and write my thoughts, questions, and criticism down. I plan on reading Infinite Jest soon, so I'll be suffering with you! Additionally, this video has inspired me and I'll add this video idea to my list. Thanks for the inspiration! Happy reading! :)

[@kaylamartinez4211]

A Little Life was incredibly sad but I found a lot of the details tedious. I didn’t cry until the very end.

[@mishelly]

Yes Moby Dick is on my TBR too! I fell in love with the story when I read the children’s classic version with my son. It’s significant because he didnt like to read. It was a lot of trial and error finding the right thing for him. We read this together and we continue to discuss Captain Ahab and reference the story in our lives. And we discovered he likes classic stories of adventure! Like Tom Sawyer and all vs modern fantasy that most kids are reading. He is 15 mine but he must have been 9-10 when we read Moby Dick

[@andybarker8787]

Moby Dick is one of my favourite books I’ve read it three times and I always take something new from it. The whaling chapters are a challenge the first time you read it but on re read it really shines. Monte Cristo is very accessible and it’s a real page turner, it flys by. As for Blood Meridian….you might want to plan a few Disney cartoons once you finish it 😂.

[@sylviaowega3839]

It is the characters that add the philosophic and intellectual depth in a book, and Dostoyevsky does it like no other.

[@Millie.C]

I had so much fun reading The Canterbury Tales! English is not my main language, but I found the translation very accessible. Knowing a little about how old English is, I can't imagine reading it in its original. 😅 In my country, classic novels that are super dense get split into several volumes, so The Count of Monte Cristo had 3 volumes and most anything Dostoievski is split into 3-4 volumes, which definitely makes the process easier. And btw, there is a fantastic anime adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, I would totally recommend it after you read the book.

[@BobbyHall-eu1xv]

The Count of Monte Christo and Blood Meridian are brilliant reads. I keep meaning to read a classic as it's been a while; I was thinking of reading East Of Eden but your video has reminded me that I have The Canterbury Tales on my kindle so that may be next!

[@sdruss83]

I just read the first couple pages of East of Eden and it got me really excited to dive into it. The only reason I didn't continue through immediately is I had just finished Lonesome Dove and needed a couple shorter, lighter reads first. But the writing in the bit that I read was beautiful without being too pretentious, just like Lonesome Dove was.

[@elpa6206]

East of Eden just a brilliant book, you will love it.

[@reneepasich]

East of Eden is one of my all time favorite books!!

[@TheSuperrespect13]

Absolutely love the idea of this video there needs to be more off it!! There are definitely some books on my TBR that are so daunting to me and I keep putting it off because it is so daunting! However what maybe could help is to do a buddy read? Not sure if you even have plans like that or if that's even possible now but I would love to be a part of a future buddy read on discord or something with whatever is next! Russian literature is notoriously dense and even with my relatively decent education I feel like I am not intellectually equipped to read it. Please don't feel bad about your education, there is no shame in that, on the contrary I applaud you for trying to tackle these behemoths of literature!! Blood meridian can also be found on my tbr, but one thing I avoid like the plague are books whose sole purpose is to smash my heart into tiny little pieces. Life is sad enough as it is kinda want to stay away from it in my escape literature.... My personal daunting book lists does include some russian literature like Crime and punishment [The brothers Karamazov as well] but also lots of 'classics' if that makes sense....in all genres really. Malazan Book of the Fallen is on my goal list at least the first book by end this year [there are 10 books...] honestly if you read blood meridian, I am going to drop everything and read it with you so help me God. Never read anything by cormac McCarthy and this book is so notorious I need to know what the hype is all about!

[@PaperbackJourneys]

What a fantastic comment! Yeah I need to find out more about buddy reads and maybe start doing them on Discord. I need to set one up and then get active on there. When I start reading Blood Meridian, I'll definitely let you know my friend.

[@crypto_yes]

Hey good list. Ive read 1- house of leaves. I didnt know i should actively participate more so just found it frustrating. Ill reread in a few years and hopefully enjoy it more. I just ordered Brothers Karamazov earlier this week. Expecting it to take a while. After that i was planning to read Lonsome Dove but ive had my eye on Blood Meridian so may have to swap- it does sound better in a lot of ways.

[@sholtham1]

This is a great selection of novels. and all very readable. I think you might have more than a year's worth of reading here - take your time and enjoy them like a fine wine. Glad you didn't include Finnegan's Wake or anything 'experimental' (though I suppose The House of Leaves ticks that box - it does, however 'make sense ' and is fun to read)

[@pincushionpunk]

Just finished Blood Meridian last night, fantastic book. Hope you do a review when/if you get to it.

[@23peacelovemusic]

House of Leaves is a huge undertaking but it's so worth it! There was one point where I was sitting in my apartment and I swore the walls were moving

[@tadhgcronin175]

Good luck with your quest. I would do one maybe two of these monsters in a year. I'm wading through Moby Dick at the moment, not really worth it but then Cormac McCarthy said it was his favourite book. Blood Meridian is great like all his books.

[@thattrickydude]

You are going to love the count of monte cristo, it's not a hard read at all, yes it is big but it doesn't feel long. One of my favourites of all time, top 3 for sure maybe number 1.

[@evie2411]

I actually just finished reading Moby Dick! Your worry about it testing your patience is well-founded, but the chapters are rather short (there's just so many of them). Think of it as a whaling journey in itself: sometimes you're working through chores, doing practical things, stuck in your head a lot staring out at the waves...until suddenly something exciting happens! I found that Ishmael is ultimately giving you something indispensable in understanding the gravity of his story: context. You will understand exactly the why and how of the ending, its depth, its philosophy, because of his exhaustive reflections and lessons on whales. But yes, I did still feel rather imposed upon before the penny dropped on its brilliance.

[@bartsbookspace]

Blood Meridian is also on my list for this year. 👍 And you’ve got many good choices here, the only one that perhaps doesn’t fit is The Count of MC; I read it years ago, as a teen, and it was a great. Not that difficult. Enjoy!

[@ronlussier8570]

19th century character development is fantastic - plot development, not so much. I loved Moby Dick, enjoy! I just found your channel and really like it. I do have a suggestion - when you are discussing a book, hold it steady. It is easy to hold a book and end up using it to express your opinion about it, while moving your hands around. It can be distracting for the viewer, however. Some book tube channels use a graphic image of the book, while they are discussing it. I think you have selected some really good books, but I know it would take me longer than a year to read all of them - I only read 20 pages an hour so most people are able to read more material at a faster pace. I am looking forward to hearing your opinion of House of Leaves.

[@tweegerm]

I just finished Moby Dick after having similar fears and a couple false starts - what helped me was the audiobook, especially for the whaling textbook portions. While of course it's ideal to be 100% engaged in every word, I think it's ok to let those parts wash over you while you walk or do chores or something, like a friend telling you all about their new hobby. The characters stole my heart in a way I really was not expecting and rarely find in classic lit tho so worth finding a way to read it that works for you! I listened to the version read by Anthony Heald and he brought a very endearing earnestness to Ishmael.

[@thundermorphine]

I gave up on Infinite Jest. But if you want to read it I think there's a fanwiki that will come in handy. One of the problems I had with it was that it was overloeaded with a lot, A LOT of abreviations that he only spelled out once and then expected the reader to remember what it stod for. All hail O.N.A.N!

[@bretthake7713]

I'm interested in House of Leaves after your explanation, had heard the name before but none of those other details about "how" to read it. Sounds fascinating, it's going on my list. Certainly not nearly as involved but I just finished Freeze Frame Revolution which had certain letters bolded (or I've heard red in some editions) and if you asemble all the letters, it has a sentence and a web address to a sequel short story. I love this sort of thing

[@PaperbackJourneys]

That's awesome. I love stuff like that when it's interwoven within a book, as long as it's not OVERDONE. I've actually read House of Leaves since recording this video and I did enjoy it. It's just so bizarre though. It was a totally unique reading experience but it was taxing. Unfortunately I didn't find it AS scary as other people but it was eerie in places for sure.

[@lukegallegos8523]

Great job. I'm reading Moby Dick right now and I think it will be worth the effort. Prepare yourself for A Little Life, it is gut wrenching but well worth the pain. I am quite interested now in investigating House of Leaves. I would add The Jungle and Lolita to the list! Maybe Death on the Installment Plan by Celine, but after the those other two.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Hey Luke! Thanks so much for the recommendations mate. I appreciate it. Yeah A Little Life is going to wreck me I'm sure. 😐

[@Edidin]

This is an ambitious TBR, but I love it. One piece of [unwanted :D ] advice about "The Count of MCh" (which is my favorite book and which I've read many times throughout my life) - make notes of the character's names for reference. The first time I read it I was getting a bit confused, cause yeah, there's a lot of them, and some are mentioned in the beginning and the second time somewhere near the end. Hope you'll love it :)

[@michaelormerod1898]

So I dnfd blood meridian.. but I'm happy it's on this list. It's made me want to try again. A little life is an epic character study and emotionally challenging but soooo worth it. .. another to add to the list that I'm struggling with at the moment is shogun.. its long .. its understanding different cultures in history.. it's taking its toll .. good luck

[@Monkeestuffs]

Blood Meridian really picks up around the halfway mark - The pacing speeds up and McCarty's writing really shines. The first half was very slow though, and I nearly dnf'd myself!

[@arc7818]

Still need to read the unabridged version, but I know already what a great book The Count of Monte Cristo is. Definitely very readable. One of the best books I've ever read, and damn entertaining too.

[@michelleizoco]

Your pronunciations are really good, don't worry so much. 🙂 I have most of these on my TBR as well, and Brothers Karamazov and Count of Monte Cristo are books I want to tackle this year. I sometimes get overwhelmed about reading books but then I remember - we're often more capable then we believe and we can always put books down to tackle again another time. Best of luck, so glad I found your channel today! Subscribed and look forward to future videos. 🤩

[@sevenzeroone2890]

Consider adding to your list The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner. It's worth the effort.

[@tbeshers]

A friend of mine always tells me, when someone mispronounces a word, it’s because they learned it by reading it. There is no shame in that!

[@mishelly]

I did read A Little Life. (I have a blog around the experience as well.) I did not cry. But it is a lot of difficult disturbing topics. So incredibly well written beautiful in the midst of its disturbing nature.

[@sisterhoney61]

I absolutely loved House of Leaves! It's definitely in my Top Ten favorites. I didn't find it to be scary, though. A Little Life is another favorite of mine. It's not an easy read, but I loved it.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

That’s awesome! House of Leaves is such a unique experience, isn't it? I have my review of that book coming out today actually. I’ve heard A Little Life is a pretty intense read too. Thanks for sharing your favorites!

[@barbararowley6077]

Moby Dick could definitely do with a modern edited edition, but you don’t need to focus too deeply on the whaling industry bits. You’ve definitely picked an enjoyable challenge! I’ve always wanted to give Finnegan’s Wake a go, though I suspect when I get the chance it will be a far less delightful read than your choices. Even though I don’t mind stream of consciousness. Love Dumas! I’d suggest saving it for post Melville as it’s about as different in pacing as it’s possible for a novel to be.

[@joannemoore3976]

Yes I couldn't finish Moby Dick and I think a lot of that was the whaling aspect, I just didn't want to be on that boat 🤷‍♀️