I enjoy lengthy novels and have finished quite a few already. I loved Infinite Jest for its surprises, War & Peace’s intricacies and Brothers Karamazov for the intrigue as well as others (like Underworld, Gravity’s Rainbow and Midnight’s Children). I’m looking for something contemporary & compelling this time, but great, yet slightly under the radar. As you can see, I like famous books but if you have a recommendation by an up and coming or less known author I would like to hear about it. Ty!
by Whynotlightthisup
9 Comments
Oh, I have one!
Published in 1979, {{Dragonworld, by Byron Preiss, Michael Reaves}}
Edit, oops you said contemporary. … But you also said one volume. tchk
Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. Incredible book and hardcover is almost 1,000 pages
The Count of Monte Cristo
[Reamde](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10552338-reamde) by Neal Stephenson. One of the longest books I’ve read. It’s a cybercrime thriller and though it has been out for quite a few years, it has aged really well with the usage of technology in the story.
Our son recommends *IQ84*
*Middlemarch*, though not set in contemporary times
*Underworld*, by Delillo
The Deluge by Stephen Markley. Climate change and people’s reaction to it. Definitely qualifies size-wise, and an interesting if occasionally infuriating (to me anyway) read.
*A Suitable Boy* by Vikram Seth. It’s 1300+ pages, published in 1993.
I can’t recommend Shogun by James Clavell enough! I think it’s one of the best novels ever written. 1312 pages.
The Discovery of Heaven by Harry Mulisch
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
The Stand (original version) by Stephen King
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
Cryptonomicon or Anathem by Neal Stephenson