\n
I love reading, but I struggle with longer books, primarily because I rarely enjoy 100% of them. Whenever someone recommends a long book to me, they usually admit that some sections can be a bit of a slog to get through, and I immediately think of all the shorter books I could read during the time it would take me to get through it. Teenage me would be so depressed to read this, but I work full-time and have a finite amount of energy to spend on creative and leisurely endeavours, so if it feels too much like hard work, I\u2019ll probably give up on it. Actually, that was pretty depressing for thirty-something me to read.<\/p>\n
That being said, recently I reflected on the long books I have read so far in my life that I have actually enjoyed, and five immediately sprung to mind. I thought I would share them, but have kept the synopses and my reasons for enjoying them to a minimum \u2013 because how ironic would it be if this was a long slog of a blog post?!<\/p>\n
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara<\/strong> (736 pages)<\/p>\nAlthough this book has received a bit of flak in recent years for varying reasons, A Little Life is a great novel propelled by compelling characters rather than plot. It follows a group of friends who meet at university and the ups and downs (but mostly downs) of their relationships and lives. It is essentially torture porn, as Yanagihara developed lovable characters just to destroy them as heartlessly as possible, but sometimes you need a novel to openly weep to. While some of the characters are not so much lovable as in needing of a punch, that\u2019s all part of the fun! I definitely want to revisit this again in the future, I just have to prepare myself emotionally first.<\/p>\n
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell<\/strong> (544 pages)<\/p>\nCloud Atlas is an incredible feat of literature. It is a science fiction novel that plays with time and reincarnation with enviable ease, featuring six interconnected stories and characters. I really don\u2019t want to give much more away than that \u2013 just know that it\u2019s complex, brilliantly written and immensely satisfying. I can remember reading it so vividly while traveling in Iceland, as it is such a visual novel \u2013 while there are many characters and stories, Mitchell somehow made it all so effortless to follow.<\/p>\n
How Not to Die by Michael Greger MD <\/strong>(658 pages \u2013 455 pages without notes\/appendix etc.)<\/p>\nThis is the only non-fiction book on this list. I have read a lot of interesting non-fictions over the years, but this is the only one I revisit often. It is essentially about how to eat your way to better health, citing scientific studies to back up Dr Greger\u2019s view that we should all be eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. While the data is presented a little biasedly at times and can often be alarmist, as a vegan I have found it a helpful guide to making healthier decisions. Choice is ultimately the theme of this book (for example, whether to choose brown rice or white rice for a meal) and it has opened my eyes to the world of preventative healthcare.<\/p>\n
The Magus by John Fowles<\/strong> (720 pages)<\/p>\nDo you want a strange, incredibly visual novel that will give you zero clues about where it\u2019s going? Do you want to have the rug pulled from beneath your feet chapter by chapter? Do you want to read about crazy mind games perpetrated by a genius? The Magus by John Fowles was a life-changing read for me, and I had the joy of witnessing my husband consume the entire thing while on a week-long holiday together. The story is about a young British man in Greece who is bored with his life until he meets a bizarre yet charming older man called Conchis, and what proceeds is a battle of wits and wills. The ending to this book is utter madness. I have a first edition of it as the cover is just as mad as its contents.<\/p>\n
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry<\/strong> (858 pages)<\/p>\nThis is the longest book on this list, but I definitely read it the fastest. It is a western filled with fascinating characters and non-stop adventure. The story is simple \u2013 two retired cowboys decide to travel with their herd of cows from Texas to Montana \u2013 but every page is an example of perfect storytelling. McMurtry was a master of characterisation. Never before have I read a novel with so many characters yet every single one is memorable, even if McMurtry used just a single sentence to describe them. You will laugh, gasp and cry throughout. It will break your heart a thousand times. I recommend this novel to everyone and anyone, no matter their taste in reading. McMurtry is the sole reason I have developed an intense infatuation with the western genre. Perfection.<\/p>\n
Photo by\u00a0Ed Robertson<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I love reading, but I struggle with longer books, primarily because I rarely enjoy 100% of them. Whenever someone recommends a long book to me, they usually admit that some sections can be a bit of a slog to get through, and I immediately think of all the shorter books I could read during the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[1752,4576,241,1231,11288],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-233349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","tag-books","tag-dystopic","tag-long","tag-time","tag-worth"],"yoast_head":"\n
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