[mrapbp]

I just finished this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/River-God-Wi...2611792&sr=1-1

Really enjoyed it and there are a few simlar sized books in the series.

This is also superb and fairly massive!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imajica-Cliv...2611847&sr=1-1

[Dave Weystoner]

Don't go for one big book - just choose a selection of Ian Rankin or Christopher Brookmyre. Rankin's Inspector Rebus series are linked on a timeline, so are effectively one book, and Brookmyre's are interlinked with common characters, so could be taken as a single book with a very broad canvas.

They're cracking reads, too, as long as you're not anti-Scottish.

Dave

[Nik73]

Originally Posted by FazerThou

Stephen Kings - The Stand - if you like that sort of thing at 1300+

I used to read everything Stephen King brought out and would heartily recommend IT. One of my favourite books of all time. Please don't be put off by the god awful tv mini-series.

[andyk]

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

A tremendous book.

Also, the best book I've read - East of Eden by Steinbeck.

[sunnybacon]

The Godfather by Mario Puzo - everyone knows what this is about
Fatherland by Robert Harris - based on an alternative history theory where Hitler won the war. Excellent read.
Eragon - OK, it's a kid's/teenager's fantasy/magic book. I enjoyed it

[DOBLY]

The Book of Dave - Will Self.

[miceri]

Nightsdawn(?) Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton. 3 books all approx 1200 pages. EACH!

Impossible to put down until finished...

A scarily true scenario of science assistance humanity amongst the stars 3-400 years in the future.

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Stephen King's The Stand is good, but the final page of the "finale coda" kills the whole story dead!

If you really want a challenge, how about "Rememberance Of Things Past" by Marcel Proust - runs to about 2300 pages, in 2 thick volumes, or to about 6 smaller paperbacks of about 500 pages each. Also known as "A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu"! I did try and read it earlier this year, and only made it to about 150 pages through Part 1 of Volume 1, before giving up. It's very, very heavy going!

Alternatively:

"War And Peace" - Leo Tolstoy
"The Brothers Karamazov" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"Infinite Jest" - David Foster Wallace, who killed himself earlier this month


Pooch

[imightbewrong]

Another epic from King is the Dark Tower series - seven books with one continuous story - a great read - I read them all back-to-back a couple of years ago. There is a little repetition as the books were originally released over a period of about 20 years. They are all great books - sort of the key-stone of King's different universes - sometimes a character or location from another book crops up, or even an actual book itself.

Difficult to summarise, except it's not a horror. An old-west, scifi/fantasy, quest, road-trip type of thing, with the central character being the last of a line of noble old-western type law-men, who is Clint Eastwood in all but name.

Anyway - I recommend it - would keep you busy for a while.

[Toasty]

If you're even remotely interested in the Merlin / Arthur myths, try out Stephen Lawheads Pendragon Cycles, most excellent! His Songs of Albion series is also brilliant IMHO, which touches on Celtic mythology.

[Sqwonk]

Thanks guys for a lot of great pointers, that should keep me busy for a while.
Much appreiciated

[Duncan G]

Originally Posted by Sqwonk

Thanks guys for a lot of great pointers, that should keep me busy for a while.
Much appreiciated

The books by Edward Rutherfurd would fit your bill, big and readable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_...furd&x=13&y=22

[Uridium]

Amazing book here Has anyone else read...... if your into hefty reads.

[John]

Originally Posted by dUnKle

Tom Clancy and his Jack Ryan world novels ?

Originally Posted by nheather

Red Storm Rising is my favourite.
Cheers,
Nigel

Red storm Rising is excellent , although not a JR story . Without Remorse is my favourite , I think
Debt of Honour followed by Executive orders would be a good 2000+ page read iirc

Originally Posted by Toasty

If you're even remotely interested in the Merlin / Arthur myths, try out Stephen Lawheads Pendragon Cycles, most excellent! His Songs of Albion series is also brilliant IMHO, which touches on Celtic mythology.

The Warlord Chronicles (Bernard Cornwell) are another good take on the Arthurian Legend

[GasDad]

I'll second the vote for Cryptonomicon - a truly magnificent book - though sometimes hard work.

The Jack Ryan Novels though the stories are brilliant, and the politics at least makes you think,, the writing is sometimes awful. That said I'd vote for Sum of all Fears.

If you haven't read Harry Potter, give the series a whirl - sure it's aimed at teenagers, but all of them are superbly written, in particular the narrative is handled incredibly well.

If you would like some non fiction, - try if you have a mathematical bent - "Godel Escher Bach an eternal golden braid " - by Hofstadter. One of the great books of the twentieth century.

[vinvader]

Originally Posted by FazerThou

Stephen Kings - The Stand - if you like that sort of thing at 1300+

That's what I was going to recommend, very epic great story!

I read it years ago and I think it's about time I read it again!

[vinvader]

Originally Posted by mrapbp

This is also superb and fairly massive!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imajica-Cliv...2611847&sr=1-1

I've also read Imajica which I really enjoyed along with Weaveworld

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/4...d/Product.html

[Digger]

Originally Posted by Uridium

Amazing book here Has anyone else read...... if your into hefty reads.

Aye!

[Epicurus]

Seconding the Stand that's a real monster sized book.

Also consider his Dark Tower series, it's set over 7 books and he spent about 25 years writing them, no joke! Last one was finished a couple of years ago. Although in seperate books, the story itself is continuous and completely brilliant. I started reading the first one when I was 12 years old at school, and thanks to having to wait for him to finish writing them, I was 24 when I finished.

Now that's a long book!

P.S. this isn't the usual King stuff, ie none of it is really like a horror novel, it's more like a long Western with a bit of supernatural/fantasy thrown in.

[supahyp]

The Bonfire of The Vanities by Tom Wolfe is just superb .

[Steven]

Originally Posted by Pbryanw

That's a shame as Great Expectations is one of my favourite books. I agree though that some of Dicken's other works can be a bit of a slog. A Tale of Two Cities springs to mind.

Forced to read a few chapter as I forgot to take an alternative book the other day... much less of a chore than Oliver Twist and I have now picked up a habit of saying "Pip" to everybody, but still slightly weary and dancing around before getting to the point

[Urien Rheged]

Read 'The Dictionary'.
Spoiler:

 

The Zebra did it.

The Lord of the Rings is the greatest book ever written. It's all you'll ever need