What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently? (Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)
I think that if I read through a chunkster (which I love BTW) it has to be be "big" in every possible meaning of the word. It's big in size, big in meaning, big in popularity, big in importance, etc. but especially big in story. I don't care about ambitious novels written in stream of consciousness or just plain gibberish (I have read them and I will not come back to them any time soon). If a book is over 500 pages, it had better give me a darn good, engaging story.
There are two books which I consider to be 'big' and have read them fairly recently (not this year though, with all the review copies and challenges to complete, I had no time for re-reads):
1. The Sta
nd by Stephen King - all time favorite and a post-apocalyptic classic. As a fan I can only recommend the Complete & Uncut edition counting 1200 pages in hardcover. I know it's huge but when it was first published, The Stand was cut by over 150,000 words and I want a whole story :D. One thing I should mention is that because it's the end-of-the-world masterpiece, everything else I read after that just doesn't measure up.
2. John Ada
ms by David McCullough - one of the best biographies I have read. It is another chunkster with 722 pages in paperback edition but yet again, really worth the time and attention. I loved it because the author is a born storyteller, the story of our founding fathers and the birth of our country is beautiful and reminded me how many lives were put on the line so I could live in a free, independent and democtratic country of the United States.
I used to read Stephen King, but I don't think I ever read The Stand. That's definitely big in both size and popularity.
ReplyDeleteI do sometimes like Stephen King although he's a bit hit and miss but I'm guessing The Stand has to be a "big" hit! Is it one that's a quick big read perhaps? King's novels tend to be page turners...
ReplyDeleteooohhh Stephen King, I'm a new reader of his and I have lots of books to look forward to including The Stand :)
ReplyDeleteLol, since I don't consider a 500 page book "large" I have to go scraping back quite a ways to find one in the 700/800 page range. Another two weeks and I'll have Gabaldon's sizable new tome in my hot little hands.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say the largest recent is The Lodestar by Pamela Belle.
I really want to read David Mccullough's book.
ReplyDeleteMy btt is up at The Burton Review
I have read only one Stephen King till date!
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something?
Booking through Big
I recently picked up McCullough's John Adams. Look forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the look (and sound) of the John Adams' biography Lilly. And at 722 pages it's got to be pretty exhaustive. Yep I'm impressed. Both with the biography and your choice of reading material.
ReplyDeleteWarmest
Rob
OMG! Did you read my post about 'The Stand'. Ha! I ordered it from the library, and they sent me the HARDCOVER. OK, I'm not a bodybuilder. LOL! I declined it. I'll buy the paperback, there is no way on earth I'm going to carry around a HARDCOVER for weeks on end!
ReplyDeleteI just brought the complete and uncut version of The Stand. I haven't decided to tackle it yet but one day I will.
ReplyDeleteHere is mine.
I so agree about the Adams biography (haven't read The Stand yet)I just loved the book. Very compelling, considering its length. Have you read John & Abigail's letters to each other? Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read McCullough. I bought 1776 and John Adams for my grandfather and he just adored both of them. I read The Stand a loooonnng time ago. Maybe it's time for a re-read.
ReplyDeleteAgree on The Stand...tho I haven't read it yet...it's so hard finding Mr.King's old book :( I'm a big fans of him and still searching for all his great works
ReplyDelete