the longest books I've read... were they worth it?

I've read some really long books over the past few years, and I thought I'd sit down and chat about whether those chonks were worth the read! I've got some of my favorite fantasy reads in here, some literary fiction, and even a chonky classic! Let me know down in the comments what are the longest books you've read... and were they worth the page count?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BECOME A PATRON!
/ toritalks2
BUY MY EPIC FANTASY BOOK "The Blood Stones":
www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKZC3P9/
BUY MY DARK SUPERNATURAL FANTASY BOOK "PHASED":
www.amazon.com/dp/1937363031/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONNECT WITH ME
Goodreads: / 20841576.victoria_tecken
Instagram: / toritalks91
Twitter: / toritalks2
Website: toritecken.com/
Amazon Wishlist: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...
My PangoBooks: pangobooks.com/bookstore/tori...

[@hectatereads105]

I read Malazan before discovering book tube, I didn’t realize how many people found it intimidating. It was fairly clear from reading it that no one will get everything on the first read and I was totally happy to be along for the ride. Felt more like real life and real people

[@ToriTalks2]

I had the same experience! I didn't realize at the time because I was just reading it for fun and not part of a community.

[@mattkean1128]

Probably Monte Cristo and War and Peace. But the chapters themselves are so short and many, so it's actually quite an easy journey. I still miss many of those characters. That feeling when you're turning the last pages of a book and you're just wanting more. It's the best.

[@ToriTalks2]

Short chapters are underrated imo.

[@madlynx1818]

Loved them both and put Les Mis in that category too 👍🏻

[@CNavo.TheNextChapter]

Bring on the Chonks!! I agree it can be "make or break", but if you are immersed in the characters and the world, the joy you have in reading a 700+ book (or better yet series) is oh so rewarding and why I love this genre. You just moved Mike Shackle's series up a month for me, I also have those beautiful BB editions. FX did an amazing job you the Shogun series, I hope you enjoy it!🍻

[@ToriTalks2]

Totally agree. Spending so many pages in the company of favorite characters... there's nothing like it! I hope you love The Last War! I think you'll really enjoy it.

[@rebecca.reader]

My biggest book that I have read is Pillars of the Earth coming in at about 1080 pages. Closely followed by The Dragonbone Chair, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny which are all around 900 pages. I love a chonker!

[@skywalker80316]

The Stand and IT are the two longest for me and both absolutely worth the page count. Enjoyed the video!

[@Zivilin]

The D'artagnan romances are absolutely worth reading, in my humble opinion. Was the first series i fell in love with as a child, and influenced my reading taste. Still remember walking down the aisle of the school library and finding them on the shelves. Dumas is my gold standard for witty dialogue and banter. Such a brilliant writer. 💜

[@ToriTalks2]

He’s really brilliant! I had a great time with Musketeers.

[@ericw4377]

Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust is a long one. It's beautiful, though. Word count is around 1.27 million, so for context, about three times longer than Shogun and over twice as long as War and Peace. Chopped-up into multiple volumes, it is intended as one overarching novel.

[@ToriTalks2]

That’s a huge book!!!

[@kevnas8250]

If there is any book or series that I could wish for to be chunkier, it would be the king killer chronicles. At every single relistening I wish, there would be more. A god what a blessing it is to love a huge book.

[@yanivrosenfeld-cohen7517]

This is a great and original video Tori! Feast for Crows and Storm of Swords were fantastic, Kaigen is a briliant standalone and Mike I have on my tbr

[@ToriTalks2]

Thanks Yaniv! I've definitely seen some great videos coming out recently about longer reads, so I can't claim total originality on that. But I had a great time with it!

[@esmayrosalyne]

We like big books and we cannot lie!! I can't believe I am going to be reading the Stormlight chunkers all over again this year, lol. And gosh, do I feel you on A Little Life... I initially bought into the hype but the more I reflect on it, the more revulsion I feel towards it oof. For me, Of War and Ruin, The Shadow Rising, A Storm of Swords, Legacy of Brick and Bone, and the Stormlight books are easily the chunkiest ones I have tackled, and they were mostly all worth it!

[@ToriTalks2]

Chonks are great! Fantasy readers are not afraid of a thicc book 🤘🏻

[@derrisreaditbefore]

What a fantastic premise for a video! I just sorted my book spreadsheet by page count, and after disregarding omnibus editions and unread (so far) books, it goes: 880 Ship of Magic 906 Mad Ship 914 Fool's Fate 1,010 A Clash of Kings 1,037 Gone With the Wind 1,061 A Feast for Crows 1,090 It 1,125 A Dance With Dragons 1,152 The Stand 1,177 A Storm of Swords ... and I've re-read all of them more than once = Worth it 😁

[@ToriTalks2]

What a stack!!!

[@Shaad2321]

Great video! I do actually think Oathbringer is longer than shogun 😂😂 I think malazan has too many pages. The problem is I was confuse while reading so I’m not sure what I would cut out!

[@connorxoneill]

The Stand: Complete and Uncut Edition. I believe my copy is 1146 pages. Absolutely worth it for me, even with the climax being a tad abrupt.

[@ToriTalks2]

Nice! I've heard a lot of positive reviews of that one.

[@andreluissoriano]

I’m currently reading Monte Cristo. 1200+ pages. Halfway through. So far every page is worth. Like what you said in Three Musketeers, I didn’t expect it to be easy to read for a classic!

[@ToriTalks2]

Nice! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

[@AFictionalEscapist]

Great video! I am so on the fence with a lot of these bigger books. I did not realise that Mike Shackle book was such a beast 😅 I will say it has been interesting reading Malazan alongside someone who doesn't enjoy the philosophical meandering as much as I do. They will sum up what happens in a few sentences, meanwhile I am all in for the navel gazing and heavy hitting moments that just .... hit hard if you've been picking up on those intricate details along the way IMO.

[@ToriTalks2]

I can handle a bit of philosophical meandering, but not a ton or I start to go a bit cross-eyed 😂

[@elaineirving77]

I’ve read the first two Malazan books but not gone back to the series yet. I think War and Peace and The Count of Monte Cristo are my longest non SFF books and ASOIAF and Stormlight are my SFF chonkers. Also book 3 of The Bound and The Broken by Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin is probably up there too.

[@thatsci-firogue]

Im one of those that didn't enjoy Assassin's Quest as much as I did the rest of the Farseer trilogy but i appreciate it more now in retrospect after reading Liveship Traders and Tawny Man a lot of it makes so much more sense

[@ToriTalks2]

That is very fair. I'm not sure I'll love it as much as the other books in the series.

[@fallout766]

Great video as always Tori! Longest book I've read would without a doubt be The Count of Monte Cristo :)

[@ToriTalks2]

I really want to read that one!

[@safinan8008]

Thank you for the recommendation!! I like big books too! 😊

[@ToriTalks2]

Woohoo!

[@zkinak2107]

Storm of Swords is the longest book I’ve read and I found it quite worth it’s length. It was especially fun to read the book without ever having watched the show. It was quite a step up from A Clash of Kings! I’ve read the first two books in the Farseer Trilogy and I’m so curious to see what I think of the third one. I’m hoping for a slow introspective journey when I read it. I really loved the first two and was especially head over heels about Assassins Apprentice.

[@ToriTalks2]

I think if you really loved the first two books, you'll have a great time with Assassin's Quest. Happy reading!

[@zkinak2107]

@@ToriTalks2 Good to know. Thank you!

[@Talking_Story]

I got Oathbringer coming up next month and I have been hitting the gym to be ready.

[@ToriTalks2]

Good call. That Shogun hardcover murdered my wrists.

[@Talking_Story]

@@ToriTalks2 yes!!

[@nickprocter1560]

Hi Tori Another interesting video and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Some fantasy chonkers which spring to mind and aren't included in your list: The Unholy Consult by R Scott Bakker - 788 pages - very complex but worth it. The Shadow Rising and Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan - 1,051 and 1,049 pages - good but could be shorter. The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams - 801 pages of joy and wonder. Forest Mage by Robin Hobb - 833 pages - (not surprisingly) great writing, slow pace but worth it. Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill - 1,483 pages - chonk heaven. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - 1,000 pages - OK in parts but a slog compared with book 1. All in my humble opinion.

[@ToriTalks2]

That's a lot of chonker books! Thanks for watching. :D

[@morethanaveragejoe8224]

Hi Tori, congratulations on getting 4k subs!! Btw, I was wondering where I could find that awesome edition of Mike Shackle's book Until the Last?

[@ToriTalks2]

Hey Joe! I got the set from The Broken Binding, I'm not sure if they have any more of them!

[@morethanaveragejoe8224]

@@ToriTalks2 Awesome! Thanks for the info! I'll check it out. :)

[@nikosbookreviews]

Also a fan of Three Musketeers (and Monte Cristo!) and I also loved Assassin's Quest despite the meandering. I definitely still need to get to Shogun!

[@ToriTalks2]

Yes you do!!! I think you’ll love it, honestly.

[@BrianBell7]

I love chonkers! Excellent video, Tori! Oh Chapter 40...

[@ToriTalks2]

The chapter that lives in infamy across Booktube... XD

[@BrianBell7]

@@ToriTalks2 I mean, I didn't hate it :) But I'm a well-known weirdo.

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

I love myself a long book. I get intimidated sometimes, but i love them. And yes, Dumas published his stories in the same way as Dickens. I think that the longest book i've read so far is The Pillars of the Earth (1006 pages), but i plan to read The Wings of Ashtaroth by Steve Hugh Westenra this summer and that one is almost 1500 pages 😨😨

[@ToriTalks2]

That's a chonker for sure! Good luck 🙌

[@RaymondWalterWilkinson]

A Feast for Crows wasn't long enough, while Oathbringer had too little Dalinar to justify its excesses. Long multi-POV novels all come down to the protagonist count. For my novel, I cut all non-essential dialog and scenes that didn't further the narrative. I still wanted to remove 100 pages, but I couldn't cut anymore without losing impact for major POVs. It was the toughest part of the editing process!

[@thatsci-firogue]

Ive only ever gotten halfway through Oathbringer... i gotta agree with you 😂

[@ToriTalks2]

Lol! Yeah that's where the series started to drop off for me.

[@shaunpreads]

I have had various copies of Shogun over the past 15 years or so and have never read it because I am so intimidated by it's size. Dumas's novels were serialized, and I think in France they were paid by the word, but I could be wrong about that. But I think that is why novels like Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, and Hugo's Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame are so long. The longest book I've read is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett coming in at around 1100 pages, though I want to start Stormlight Archives and Malazan this year so that will probably change. Pillars was worth the page count for the most part, there are several spots that go into extreme detail about the construction of cathedrals that could have been shortened and that I started skimming through, but all told I loved the book.

[@ToriTalks2]

Shogun is one of those books that is super accessible despite its size, and breaking it up into the parts really helps. And it's so good. It takes a little bit to get rolling, but once it does I couldn't put it down. Pillars is one of those books that I've gone back and forth on whether or not I wanted to read it. That's what I was guessing with the serializing, it makes a lot of sense when you think about how they're written and the super descriptive prose.

[@reynardthefox9072]

totally agree on Oathbringer... I love sanderson but this one just lost steam somewhere in the middle. the struggle is real. more shallan, less to nothing Dalinar please

[@ToriTalks2]

Agree. I'd prefer Dalinar over Shallan though XD

[@vincentdufour8423]

you look a little bit like Jodie Foster! Great vid!!

[@ToriTalks2]

Thanks! 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@AnEruditeAdventure]

I actually agree with you on Oathbringer. That’s largely why I don’t have it as one of my favorites of the series. I believe he utilized his pagecount better in WoK and WoR (and I found the stories more engaging). -T

[@ToriTalks2]

Totally agree, T. And we won't even get started on Rhythm of War. XD

[@elainedejong2806]

I read Shogun when you did. I agree, it’s definitely worth the page count. I’m reading “Sacajawea” by Anna Lee Waldo right now. It’s a little slow going as it follows the travels of Lewis and Clark and their Indian guide. It’s really good just repetitive at times. Slows the pacing.

[@elainedejong2806]

1356 pages

[@ToriTalks2]

Oooh that sounds interesting!

[@fantasyawash]

I think for A Feast for Crows it's that people missed a lot of their fav POVs. I loved Oathbringer. But I agree, I think a lot of the Stormlight books can be shorter. For Words of Radiance you can cut all of Lift and it would be perfect.

[@ToriTalks2]

That's fair! I honestly don't remember the individual books as well as I should, it's been so long. I also agree with Lift. XD

[@PentoPaper]

I was thinking of watching the show without reading the book. You’ve made me reconsider. I’ll read the book first.

[@ToriTalks2]

The book is honestly so good! I really loved it. And if you split it up into the different parts it's a lot more manageable.

[@maxturgeon89]

According to Goodreads, the longest book I've read was Les Miserables, at allegedly 1463 pages 🤯 I'd say it was worth it. Maybe because I read it such a long time ago, I mostly remember the good things about it.

[@ToriTalks2]

Les Mis is a BRICK! Congrats on getting through it!

[@hannahbutcher9841]

I also loved Shogun and The Count of Monte Cristo!

[@Montie-Adkins]

My most recent brick of Perdido Street Station at 867 pages (And 14 undulates!). It was surprising how smoothly it just rolled along.

[@ToriTalks2]

It's always impressive when an author can do that!

[@thefantasythinker]

Cool idea! All the long Erikson books are worth it. Hot take: Moby Dick needed about 400 pages removed 😁

[@ToriTalks2]

I don’t think that’s a hot take at all 😂, I’d completely agree with you and I haven’t even read it.

[@thatsci-firogue]

I was a dumbass 19 year old when i read AFFC and part of my frustration with that book came from large portions of it dedicated to certain characters looking for characters in places we the readers already know aren't there. For some people it was entertaining, it got old quickly for me. I can totally see it being more fun on re-read. Toll the Hounds might be the longest Malazan book, I think that's the longest book I've read overall. Okay, I'll bite the bullet, what is everyone on about in Chapter 40 of Shogun? (I haven't read it yet)

[@ToriTalks2]

It's a chapter of some very unnecessary adult content. XD I think Toll The Hounds might be the longest, I haven't looked in a while.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

If Ben loves three musketeers I’m adding it to my TBR

[@ToriTalks2]

He does! And I can confirm it's a pretty good classic.

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I need to come back to until the last

[@caitlinl2750]

The wandering inn: Fae and Fare 1,718 pages!

[@ToriTalks2]

😱😱😱

[@toinenosoite3173]

My longest book is definitely War and Peace by Tolstoy. God was I glad that the translation was in four parts. In my opinion, the book did not earn its page count. The second longest in recent years is propably Oathbringer. A book that would have been much better if it had been edited down. Well, my Sanderson journey eneded then with his next chunker, Rhythm of War, which I dnf'd halfway. Hobb has several long books but I have never felt that they were too long. As regards Ken Liu and his Dandelion Dynasty, I am a bit more on the fence, but I would still say that the two books I have read so far have earned their page count.

[@imokin86]

War&Peace is in four parts originally, so the translation followed the original.

[@ToriTalks2]

I love when those larger classics are broken up into parts, that makes it so much easier. I had a really hard time getting through Rhythm of War.

[@paulwilliams6913]

I think the longest books I’ve read are War and Peace (Ann Dunnigan translation) and the unabridged Les Miserables. While both are wonderful, Les Mis wore on me. I do suspect an abridgment can be quite excellent without losing as much as other abridgments lose. For War and Peace, I know some people hate the handful of chapters about philosophical musings but I honestly like those chapters and wouldn’t cut a thing from the novel. Hilariously, last year I read Wuthering Heights (288 pages) and reread War and Peace (1444 pages). I read the latter in just 3 months, while the Brontë book took me 5 months…..

[@ToriTalks2]

Wuthering Heights was not my favorite either 😅 Les Mis is a brick! I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through that one, despite loving the story. It’s one of my husband’s favorites.

[@mitch8948]

Mine are, in order, Rhythm of War, Oathbringer, A Dance with Dragons, A Storm of Swords, Words of Radiance. Not much variety there lol

[@ToriTalks2]

That's okay, still a chonky stack. Sanderson writes some chonkers.

[@mrgauth]

This is perfect timing as I am 750 pages into the 1220something pages of Oathbringer. I can tell you this, my next 10 books will be sub 700, or I am skipping them.

[@ToriTalks2]

Lol! It's definitely nice to take a break after the chonkers!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

My longest: Is Rhythm of War the longest of the SA? If so, no, not worth it. 😅 Clarissa by Samuel Richardson 1534pgs. Looking back, yes it was worth it; while i was reading it (i read it over 9 months) i didn't feel it was. It's the one classic I've read so far that i feel could have been better abridged. The Stand, by King 1152 pgs No not worth it. The Executioners Song by Norman Mailer (nf true crime) 1056 pgs I read it as a teen and i STILL remember snippets of it. So i say yes. Gone with the wind, 1037pgs. YES!!

[@ToriTalks2]

I think Oathbringer is actually longer than Rhythm of War, but I could be wrong about that! You've read some bricks too!!! Wow. 1500 pages???

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

@@ToriTalks2 I loved them as a teenager. (And I've reread The Stand) I never thought about how big a book is until booktube told me I should be worried about them and intimidated and scared. Lol

[@ToriTalks2]

@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD Yeah, Booktube is not great for that XD

[@groofay]

Oof, I didn't realize A Little Life was >800 pages. I already wasn't going to read it, but now I'm _really_ not going to read it.

[@ToriTalks2]

Yeah it's a chonk for no reason tbh. XD

[@TulsaKanette]

the only book i chose not to finish was My Booky Wook by Russell Brand it got sad and repetitive half way through. it wasn't a long book but i stopped reading half way through and two years later i realized i would never finish it

[@ToriTalks2]

That's fair. Sometimes they don't work out.

[@TulsaKanette]

@@ToriTalks2 i kjusdtstarted following your channel yesterday. i read three misketeersi in high school i didn 't know until recently it is part f a series of books called The Dartagnan Romances.

[@ToriTalks2]

@@TulsaKanette Thank you so much for watching and following! My husband is a big fan of the D'artagnan Romances, and I know a lot of people probably aren't aware that it was a series. I definitely didn't know until I met him!

[@TulsaKanette]

@@ToriTalks2 i was looking for an affordable non children's hardcover version of Three Musketeers so i could re-read it and that is how i found out there are 8 books in the series i think possibly 9. it had to remember because I think there is 2.5 in there two.

[@twiceborn_by_grace]

The Bible (which is the longest book I own and have read) doesn’t even have 1300 pages. At least the one I have.

[@thatsci-firogue]

I already had 0 interest in reading A Little Life, but everything I've heard about it lately is just... yikes.

[@ToriTalks2]

Yep. I am usually pretty neutral and will still encourage people to try books for themselves, but I will not recommend anyone read Little Life.

[@readbykyle3082]

I'm struggling to understand the layout of the video, is it one per series? And if so, why is Feast on here, when it's almost the shortest ASOIAF book? Storm and Dance are longer by about ~300 pages. 🤣 Anyways Shogun is too long, Oathbringer is too long, Rhythm of War is too long, all ASOIAF books aren't long enough, Memories of Ice and DHG are too long 😂 AQ is DEFINITELY too long but to be fair the length of that book is only like the fourth biggest issue I have with it 😅 Edit- I actually watched this time and theres no way on earth Feast is 1100 pages haha

[@ToriTalks2]

Lol it's been almost a decade since I read them and I just looked up the page count quickly. So let's just use Feast for Crows as a stand-in for ASoIaF being one of the longest books I've read. I disagree with you on Shogun and Malazan XD