500 plus paged books

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by John F

How about Septembers MR book club selection, The Grapes of Wrath.

I don't intend to read this one. A lot of classics in that period are difficult to read and enjoy properly, IMHO.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've another rather good book to recommend.

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly is the first book in the Harry Boch series. Very good.

I already have the book, which I'm yet to read. I'll read it sooner than later, thanks.

Originally Posted by John F

How about The Stand by Stephen King.

The Stand is a book I know almost nothing about. Salem's Lot is higher on my to be read pile, but King is the one author whose books I've abandoned the most. If I read the Stand, it will not be this year. Thanks anyway John F.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by John F

You are clearly trying to stretch the rules. The hardcover was less than 500, the 2002 massmarket paperback was less than 500. Heck, why don't you reference a large print edition.

John F, I can understand your indignation, but if these recommendations are mostly good books, I won't complain. If you have some free time, you can recommend more fitting books and be done with it. Thanks in advance.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Luffy

John F, I can understand your indignation, but if these recommendations are mostly good books, I won't complain. If you have some free time, you can recommend more fitting books and be done with it. Thanks in advance.

Actually as I understand it Stephen King got his initial start on The Stand while trying to work up an idea based on Patty Hurst's kidnapping. That said I agree that Mr. King's books aren't to everyone's tastes. I haven't read any of his more recent books yet though I do remember reading the expanded edition of The Stand when I was in College. It took me a couple of days to finish it. How many I can't remember it's been so long ago. The Harry Potter books are fairly long. At least some of them are 500+ page books.

[Luffy]

Before getting my kindle, I tried to read The Shining on my desktop, but even if I liked the book, I had to abandon it, because of the discomfort. That said the major Stephen King books that provoke the most reaction are the Dark Tower series. Harry Potter himself appears in one or more books. I wouldn't know, I only read the 1st three books. Hearing what occurs in the last ones is what deterred me from completing this series.

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by Luffy

That said the major Stephen King books that provoke the most reaction are the Dark Tower series. Harry Potter himself appears in one or more books. I wouldn't know, I only read the 1st three books. Hearing what occurs in the last ones is what deterred me from completing this series.

Did you like the first three?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Before getting my kindle, I tried to read The Shining on my desktop, but even if I liked the book, I had to abandon it, because of the discomfort. That said the major Stephen King books that provoke the most reaction are the Dark Tower series. Harry Potter himself appears in one or more books. I wouldn't know, I only read the 1st three books. Hearing what occurs in the last ones is what deterred me from completing this series.

I meant the series by J.K. Rowling. If there is a character by that name in one or more of Steven King's books I was unaware of it. There was a character named Harry Potter Jr. in the movie "Troll" though. A lot of the really long 500 + page books that are out there are the old classics. They had to be long for several reasons. 1st there were no pictures of real world settings which is why in books like Ben-Hur for example have long passages of description present. Also there was less variety for entertainment back then. And of course writers didn't make a lot of $ often making it by the word so that they were encouraged to write long rather than the short, quick writing we know today. Some of the PD books were in fact serialized in newspapers before being set up in book form. If you have to write 2,000 words a week for a newspaper and you try to keep the storyline going for as long as possible you get a fairly long manuscript after a while. 2k * 25 weeks = 50k words in 6.25 months. Which isn't to say there aren't still some long books today certainly. The Wheel of Time series has some fairly thick books.

[RDaneel54]

Luffy, good topic. For me, the joy of a long book if well written is knowing I can take days or weeks to enjoy the world and/or story the author has created. So many well written books are so short I'm done with them and want more. Which is good marketing, but not as much fun for me.

One of my pursuits is biographies. A well written biography can place me in a different world with a person who had a completely different worldview, opinions, tastes, etc. One biography I enjoyed reading was "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson, 657 pages. Well written and about a person who, while fascinating, would not be a personal hero for me. My current read in biographies is "John Adams" by David McCullough, 752 pages. I am savoring the excellent writing, the history and the new information I am gaining from this book.

I also enjoy Science Fiction. In that genre, Stephen King wrote "11/22/63," 866 pages. I usually don't read any of his books, but this one was highly recommended and I enjoyed it immensely.

Dean

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Gazella

Did you like the first three?

I gave them 4, 3, then 2 stars respectively. The adventures in those books are kind of underwhelming. Although it's not true, the books did give the impression that anyone can be a writer.

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

Luffy, good topic. For me, the joy of a long book if well written is knowing I can take days or weeks to enjoy the world and/or story the author has created. So many well written books are so short I'm done with them and want more. Which is good marketing, but not as much fun for me.

One of my pursuits is biographies. A well written biography can place me in a different world with a person who had a completely different worldview, opinions, tastes, etc. One biography I enjoyed reading was "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson, 657 pages. Well written and about a person who, while fascinating, would not be a personal hero for me. My current read in biographies is "John Adams" by David McCullough, 752 pages. I am savoring the excellent writing, the history and the new information I am gaining from this book.

I also enjoy Science Fiction. In that genre, Stephen King wrote "11/22/63," 866 pages. I usually don't read any of his books, but this one was highly recommended and I enjoyed it immensely.

Dean

I had a stab at reading "John Adams". I gave up after 2% in. I've heard David McCullough's other book, 1776, is better actually. But I'll not be reading both the latter and the former soon. The suspension of disbelief is associated with fiction, but to me I can't suspend mine for biographies. To me they sound so...sugary.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by crich70

I meant the series by J.K. Rowling. If there is a character by that name in one or more of Steven King's books I was unaware of it. There was a character named Harry Potter Jr. in the movie "Troll" though. A lot of the really long 500 + page books that are out there are the old classics. They had to be long for several reasons. 1st there were no pictures of real world settings which is why in books like Ben-Hur for example have long passages of description present. Also there was less variety for entertainment back then. And of course writers didn't make a lot of $ often making it by the word so that they were encouraged to write long rather than the short, quick writing we know today. Some of the PD books were in fact serialized in newspapers before being set up in book form. If you have to write 2,000 words a week for a newspaper and you try to keep the storyline going for as long as possible you get a fairly long manuscript after a while. 2k * 25 weeks = 50k words in 6.25 months. Which isn't to say there aren't still some long books today certainly. The Wheel of Time series has some fairly thick books.

Yes, Harry Potter is present in one of the Dark Tower books, not that I know which one. I hope you weren't experimental enough to watch Troll 2.

I have heard, one time, the arguments you have given me that are meant to cut classics' author some slack. Neither they need me, being dead, nor do I need them or their books. I may be missing something, but with each passing year that seems unlikely for me. I am a contemporaneous reader. E.g I've read 14 books that were published in 2014. Many of them got 4 stars from me.

Having been brought up on Enid Blyton and Herge and Rene Goscinny, I fit ill with meandering novels. Also since English is not my first, or even second language, descriptive passages lose me. There are a lot of words that I can't understand in Fantasy, and that's just words that exist in the dictionary. But I appreciate your concern for my reading choices.

PS - I've heard the Wheel of Time series dips in quality once the new author steps in.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Yes, Harry Potter is present in one of the Dark Tower books, not that I know which one. ...

Could you provide a link? Doing a Google, I see a reference to snitch and his name, but "Harry Potter" doesn't seem to make an appearence?

[Luffy]

Er, I don't know how brief or in what condition Harry Potter appeared in The Dark Tower, it's just that I was told by a fan whom I could trust. My google fu is not worth mentioning. Sorry!

EDIT : If anyone who's read the series can prove or disprove this...thanks.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Er, I don't know how brief or in what condition Harry Potter appeared in The Dark Tower, it's just that I was told by a fan whom I could trust. My google fu is not worth mentioning. Sorry!

Can anybody else confirm Harry Potter making an apperance? I thought I would have remembered Harry Potter making an appearence, although my memory does play tricks on me. I'd also guess that more HP fans would be mentioning it.

[John F]

OFF TOPIC...

I love MR! ...

MR made me go to Goodreads to lookup The Dark Tower series, and I found out that there was a short story prequel I hadn't read yet.

[Luffy]

I just got a reply from the acquaintance in question. He says that there is merely a reference in Wolves of the Calla; some of the weapons used are called Golden Snitches Harry Potter model. That all there is to it.

Same book talks about Light Sabers, Doctor Doom, and a few other things.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I just got a reply from the acquaintance in question. He says that there is merely a reference in Wolves of the Calla; some of the weapons used are called Golden Snitches Harry Potter model. That all there is to it.

Same book talks about Light Sabers, Doctor Doom, and a few other things.

Here is a link to a passage from the book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=5-K...neetch&f=false