I just recently finished The Covenant of Water. When my book group selected it I just about DIED….so long! But I cheated a bit and not only downloaded it but included the audio. Also a long drive to Denver and back helped. The best news is that it’s a great book and it was narrated by the author so I truly enjoyed it. I also have the print copy and it is huge.
As for Betty Smith, I always loved her writing. My favorite is Joy In The Morning. I read it when I was 20 and just loved it. Still do. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a long slog to get through I thought. But well written.
Sounds like the summer of writing is coming along well! And a reading! That sounded so fun. Sad Diego is so great. I love going over to Coronado. So lovely there.
I remember reading Verghese's first novel, Cutting for Stone, and loving every page. You are among the many who have been enjoying his second novel. And yes, San Diego is now officially in the summer complete with June gloom (although it has cleared a bit lately). It's pretty great.
Size definitely affects my reading choices these days. I have several longer books that I have put off reading for years, and I know they'll be wonderful if I ever read them. I just don't want to make the commitment, although back in the day, reading Dickens or Gone with the Wind was not a problem. My own book that's coming out tomorrow, No Way Out of This: Loving a Partner with Alzheimer's (shameless plug) is 302 pages. It started as 1,000 pages of journal entries. I cut and cut to make it palatable. I don't think I would publish a War and Peace length book these days. People just can't give up that much time.
You've reminded me of something a friend once told me when I was giving my then 8-year-old son one of those long explanations/lectures about something. She said, "He doesn't need War & Peace. Give him a bumper sticker."
Others here have noticed that our tolerance for length changes over time. I don't feel so bad!
So sorry I missed your appearance and reading at Dime Stories this month. I seldom miss the readings but find I will miss June, July, and August.
Yesterday was a free and open Sunday afternoon and evening. What better way to enjoy the time than to start a new book. I made a commitment and started "Demon Copperhead." It's a heft of a book and a heft of a story. Sometimes I wait for big books to be released in paperback before I read them, but couldn't wait on this one. I just finished Tommy Orange's "Wandering Stars," (also hard-cover edition) not as large (well under 500 pages), but still heavy enough that I had to put a pillow on my stomach to read it in bed.
Biggest challenge (so far): "Ulysses" at just under 800 pages. But it wasn't the size so much. It had more to do with the density. For some parts I listened to the audio as I read; I needed to hear as I read it for my understanding of it, but I also wanted to see the words on the page.
You wrote about "Gone with the Wind." For that one, I faked a sore throat for a couple of days so I could stay home from school and read it.
We'll have to compare notes on DC when we've both finished it. If I ever do. As for Ulysses, I promise myself every year that this will be the year I revisit it. I was first introduced in college during one of those summer classes that cram an entire semester into 4-6 weeks depending on the course. The class was called, "Ulysses." It was entirely devoted to Joyce's novel. It began at 8 am and ended at 11:30 am, just in time to get to Hampton Beach for an afternoon of "studying" on the beach. When opened to the middle, they made great cradles for our heads as we turned our faces towards the sun. Yes. Yes. Yes!!!
Ha! I've heard of using big books as doorstops, but never as pillows for sunbathing. Well used. I'm going on a writing retreat next week and taking Demon Copperhead with me. I'll let you know how the book and I fare.
Great to see you at Dimestories Betsy. I’m hoping you’ll be a regular. Can’t think of a better addition to the group than someone with your bona fides.
I have Tolstoy’s War and Peace to thank for igniting my love of reading. I don’t think I had read a novel from cover to cover before that book, which is absurd given how long it is. Equally absurd is the amount of time it took me to enjoy reading (after college).
I plan to show up regularly beginning in August. It was fun to go and erase my fears by just doing it. It's a fun group. Writing short and reading our loud have been my two biggest challenges.
I love that it was a BIG book like War abd Peace that led to your love of reading.
I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I believe I read it when I was living in Paris and was very lonely. I also read it when I was young, and it was summer. Infinite Jest didn’t work for me nor did Demon Copperhead. I prefer shorter commitments in general but I was so sad when I finished The Name of the Wind and of the third book ever comes out, I will stop everything to read it.
I can’t wait to listen to your story and the other storytellers. I told a story on stage for the first time earlier this Spring and it was so much fun.
I am appreciating "Tree" more and more as I go through it. I'm taking it at a leisurely pace now. Betty Smith took everything she ever wrote about coming of age in Brooklyn - essays, articles, and the story itself and combined them into a thing that is a novel but not one that is structured in the usual way.
I've never heard of The Name of the Wind! Thank you. Also: my story won't be on the audio clips - only those who read last month but I think you will enjoy them a lot!
Is your story available for listening? I think it would give you pleasure to know that your post led to my husband and I starting our own book club. I have never read Moby Dick which, like you, is one of his favorites. Here we go. If this turns into another Infinite Jest, I don’t think our marriage could survive it.
My story is not available. If it does become available, I'll happily share it! I love your book club idea. The same thing happened for me with Crime and Punishment which was my husband's favorite novel. I read it so we could talk about it.
Moby Dick is NOT like Infinite Jest. For one thing, there's lots of action and great detail. You can practically smell the salt air. He plays with the form too. You'll come upon a section about two thirds through that reads like a play for a bit. It's fun. I am a bit of a sea-story nut though.
I love long books I can get lost in. There's a sense of security, a feeling that I'll be with this friend for a long time. Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove was the last one--858 pp. paperback. I too loved Crime and Punishment (but not Moby Dick). Other long favorites: Jane Eyre (around 500 pp.), The Overstory, by Richard Powers (501); All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (530), and yes, The Goldfinch. Also Jill Lepore's These Truths, a History of the U.S. (932 pp.) Long mysteries, too; try "The Body of Death" and "Something to hide, both by Elizabeth George, both just short of 700 pp. I love many short books, too; the trouble is, they're over before you're ready. Marylin Robinson's quietly gorgeous "Housekeeping" (219 pp.), Marguerite Duras's "The Lover" (117 pp.), and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" (63 pp., including an Afterwords!).
Ahh Marilynn Robinson -- I loved that novel and also Gilead. There is comfort to the right kind of long book. But being with the wrong one for that long is impossible. I can read a shorter book whether I love it or not.
How big is too big for me? Anything that is uncomfortable for me to hold and read in bed, as that is where I do most of my reading. I guess The Goldfinch wasn't too heavy, because I loved that book. But I have put books on hold and when I picked them up at the library, I turned them back in as too big and heavy for me. As for short books, two I loved are by Claire Keegan. Then there's The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, two more great short books. The book I'm reading right now feels heavy in my hands, but it's Lucky by Jane Smiley, so no doubt I'll perservere. I could read books on my (old) iPad, but it's too heavy, imo, although I'm sure that's subjective and shows my bias for actual paper paged books.
Claire Keegan is a marvel. I also loved The Bluest Eye and The House of Mango Street. I am curious about Lucky. You will have to tell me how it goes for you.
Your photograph of a pile of ‘Long books I have loved and read’ included two by Ruth Ozeki. I am a fan too but, being a novella/short story person, I have never regarded her books as ‘long books’. I do prefer hard copies and books with signature pages, but these are becoming rarer and rarer, which means you have to break the spine if you want to read the book flat. This, sadly, applies to hard backs too. If I can’t hold a proper book and read it without damaging it then I don’t bother.
As for writing short stories, can I suggest you try writing on paper bags you gather whilst shopping. It saves the cost of paper. You have kindly read a few of mine I know. The problem is in the typing up, but if you are reading at a gig, then you have an added novelty that you can read direct from the bag. Your audience will love that I promise! 🐰
That's an excellent suggestion next time I find myself needing a new way to recycle my paper bags. And I love Ruth Ozeki. I don't care how big a book she writes. She has a magic way with words and also breaks up her chapters and sections in a way that makes the book seem much less dense.
I never worry about breaking the spine of a book I buy but I would worry about it with a borrowed book.
The answer for me is simple: I adore long books if they are great reading. The long list of big modern books includes A Little Life, The Goldfinch, and The Historian. Classics include War & Peace, Moby-Dick, and many doorstops by Dickens like Bleak House. David Copperfield does not feel long, try it, you'll like it!
Thanks for introducing me to Jenny Ofill and Sigrid Nunez, I just put borrowed an Ofill and put a Nunez on hold at Libby library app. I love this newsletter!
That simple rule applies for sure. I did not love A Little Life even though I appreciated much about it. As for David Copperfield, I am very much looking forward to reading it. I have always thought I'd have read it by now.
I think you will like both Nunez and Offill. Start with Nunez' "The Friend" - it will open your heart in the most amazing way.
If I purchase a book that has hefty pages, I pull it apart in segments that are easily held; I do not enjoy weight-lifting when reading a book. Furthermore, since I get most of my books from a library I am forced to finish because of the time constraints on newly released books that must be returned by a certain date. And, although there are many exceptions, lengthy book writers have a tendency to give the reader TOO MUCH information that could easily be cut.
I’m currently halfway through WAR AND PEACE, with the cheerful guidance of Simon Haisell, whose Substack readalong has made this huge project possible. The longest book of my life is rewarding its length, drawing me into an entire world of turmoil, catastrophe, loyalty and love that is remarkably like our own. I listen toThandiwe Newton’s beautifully voiced audiobook while reading my ebook, which helps to keep me focused.
Tolstoy aside, I’m with you. I consider length before starting a book and rule out most of those over 350 pages. I’m grateful to writers like Sigrid Nunez and Patti Smith who deliver an entire experience in a chiseled book. Alice Munro could distill a life into a short story. I have relished a few long novels of my own time (A FINE BALANCE is among my books of a lifetime). But most writers of long books are trying my patience.
Have you found that your tolerance/appreciation for long books has changed over time? Just curious. I've noticed that in myself.
As for the writers you mentioned: Munro was a master of evoking entire lives in the space of a few pages. Nunez does much the same thing. I love how her mind works.
Yes, I am definitely less patient with long books. This is partly be ause of my shrinking attention span but also because many writers need more rigorous editing.
Oh, I'm doing the War and Peace readalong too and loving it. After many false starts over the years it's a joy to read along with so many like minded people and the little accessible summaries really help
A short one shirking its job — love it!
That's a great line, isn't it? And a great reminder...
Yes!
I just recently finished The Covenant of Water. When my book group selected it I just about DIED….so long! But I cheated a bit and not only downloaded it but included the audio. Also a long drive to Denver and back helped. The best news is that it’s a great book and it was narrated by the author so I truly enjoyed it. I also have the print copy and it is huge.
As for Betty Smith, I always loved her writing. My favorite is Joy In The Morning. I read it when I was 20 and just loved it. Still do. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a long slog to get through I thought. But well written.
Sounds like the summer of writing is coming along well! And a reading! That sounded so fun. Sad Diego is so great. I love going over to Coronado. So lovely there.
I remember reading Verghese's first novel, Cutting for Stone, and loving every page. You are among the many who have been enjoying his second novel. And yes, San Diego is now officially in the summer complete with June gloom (although it has cleared a bit lately). It's pretty great.
Size definitely affects my reading choices these days. I have several longer books that I have put off reading for years, and I know they'll be wonderful if I ever read them. I just don't want to make the commitment, although back in the day, reading Dickens or Gone with the Wind was not a problem. My own book that's coming out tomorrow, No Way Out of This: Loving a Partner with Alzheimer's (shameless plug) is 302 pages. It started as 1,000 pages of journal entries. I cut and cut to make it palatable. I don't think I would publish a War and Peace length book these days. People just can't give up that much time.
You've reminded me of something a friend once told me when I was giving my then 8-year-old son one of those long explanations/lectures about something. She said, "He doesn't need War & Peace. Give him a bumper sticker."
Others here have noticed that our tolerance for length changes over time. I don't feel so bad!
So sorry I missed your appearance and reading at Dime Stories this month. I seldom miss the readings but find I will miss June, July, and August.
Yesterday was a free and open Sunday afternoon and evening. What better way to enjoy the time than to start a new book. I made a commitment and started "Demon Copperhead." It's a heft of a book and a heft of a story. Sometimes I wait for big books to be released in paperback before I read them, but couldn't wait on this one. I just finished Tommy Orange's "Wandering Stars," (also hard-cover edition) not as large (well under 500 pages), but still heavy enough that I had to put a pillow on my stomach to read it in bed.
Biggest challenge (so far): "Ulysses" at just under 800 pages. But it wasn't the size so much. It had more to do with the density. For some parts I listened to the audio as I read; I needed to hear as I read it for my understanding of it, but I also wanted to see the words on the page.
You wrote about "Gone with the Wind." For that one, I faked a sore throat for a couple of days so I could stay home from school and read it.
We'll have to compare notes on DC when we've both finished it. If I ever do. As for Ulysses, I promise myself every year that this will be the year I revisit it. I was first introduced in college during one of those summer classes that cram an entire semester into 4-6 weeks depending on the course. The class was called, "Ulysses." It was entirely devoted to Joyce's novel. It began at 8 am and ended at 11:30 am, just in time to get to Hampton Beach for an afternoon of "studying" on the beach. When opened to the middle, they made great cradles for our heads as we turned our faces towards the sun. Yes. Yes. Yes!!!
Ha! I've heard of using big books as doorstops, but never as pillows for sunbathing. Well used. I'm going on a writing retreat next week and taking Demon Copperhead with me. I'll let you know how the book and I fare.
Great to see you at Dimestories Betsy. I’m hoping you’ll be a regular. Can’t think of a better addition to the group than someone with your bona fides.
I have Tolstoy’s War and Peace to thank for igniting my love of reading. I don’t think I had read a novel from cover to cover before that book, which is absurd given how long it is. Equally absurd is the amount of time it took me to enjoy reading (after college).
I plan to show up regularly beginning in August. It was fun to go and erase my fears by just doing it. It's a fun group. Writing short and reading our loud have been my two biggest challenges.
I love that it was a BIG book like War abd Peace that led to your love of reading.
I've had a couple of books that are too big like coffee table books. Not heavy but very awkward in bed.
Then you agree that an important criterion for book selection is readability in bed!
I would not reject a good book because of it's size. It might be a not so hidden gem.
I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I believe I read it when I was living in Paris and was very lonely. I also read it when I was young, and it was summer. Infinite Jest didn’t work for me nor did Demon Copperhead. I prefer shorter commitments in general but I was so sad when I finished The Name of the Wind and of the third book ever comes out, I will stop everything to read it.
I can’t wait to listen to your story and the other storytellers. I told a story on stage for the first time earlier this Spring and it was so much fun.
I am appreciating "Tree" more and more as I go through it. I'm taking it at a leisurely pace now. Betty Smith took everything she ever wrote about coming of age in Brooklyn - essays, articles, and the story itself and combined them into a thing that is a novel but not one that is structured in the usual way.
I've never heard of The Name of the Wind! Thank you. Also: my story won't be on the audio clips - only those who read last month but I think you will enjoy them a lot!
Is your story available for listening? I think it would give you pleasure to know that your post led to my husband and I starting our own book club. I have never read Moby Dick which, like you, is one of his favorites. Here we go. If this turns into another Infinite Jest, I don’t think our marriage could survive it.
My story is not available. If it does become available, I'll happily share it! I love your book club idea. The same thing happened for me with Crime and Punishment which was my husband's favorite novel. I read it so we could talk about it.
Moby Dick is NOT like Infinite Jest. For one thing, there's lots of action and great detail. You can practically smell the salt air. He plays with the form too. You'll come upon a section about two thirds through that reads like a play for a bit. It's fun. I am a bit of a sea-story nut though.
I love long books I can get lost in. There's a sense of security, a feeling that I'll be with this friend for a long time. Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove was the last one--858 pp. paperback. I too loved Crime and Punishment (but not Moby Dick). Other long favorites: Jane Eyre (around 500 pp.), The Overstory, by Richard Powers (501); All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (530), and yes, The Goldfinch. Also Jill Lepore's These Truths, a History of the U.S. (932 pp.) Long mysteries, too; try "The Body of Death" and "Something to hide, both by Elizabeth George, both just short of 700 pp. I love many short books, too; the trouble is, they're over before you're ready. Marylin Robinson's quietly gorgeous "Housekeeping" (219 pp.), Marguerite Duras's "The Lover" (117 pp.), and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" (63 pp., including an Afterwords!).
Ahh Marilynn Robinson -- I loved that novel and also Gilead. There is comfort to the right kind of long book. But being with the wrong one for that long is impossible. I can read a shorter book whether I love it or not.
How big is too big for me? Anything that is uncomfortable for me to hold and read in bed, as that is where I do most of my reading. I guess The Goldfinch wasn't too heavy, because I loved that book. But I have put books on hold and when I picked them up at the library, I turned them back in as too big and heavy for me. As for short books, two I loved are by Claire Keegan. Then there's The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, two more great short books. The book I'm reading right now feels heavy in my hands, but it's Lucky by Jane Smiley, so no doubt I'll perservere. I could read books on my (old) iPad, but it's too heavy, imo, although I'm sure that's subjective and shows my bias for actual paper paged books.
Claire Keegan is a marvel. I also loved The Bluest Eye and The House of Mango Street. I am curious about Lucky. You will have to tell me how it goes for you.
Taking a break from it for a couple of days so I can read my friend Kate Kasten's new novel about book banning (Banners).
Said it before but, as a writer, if you're not formatting for phones you will be left behind.
Your photograph of a pile of ‘Long books I have loved and read’ included two by Ruth Ozeki. I am a fan too but, being a novella/short story person, I have never regarded her books as ‘long books’. I do prefer hard copies and books with signature pages, but these are becoming rarer and rarer, which means you have to break the spine if you want to read the book flat. This, sadly, applies to hard backs too. If I can’t hold a proper book and read it without damaging it then I don’t bother.
As for writing short stories, can I suggest you try writing on paper bags you gather whilst shopping. It saves the cost of paper. You have kindly read a few of mine I know. The problem is in the typing up, but if you are reading at a gig, then you have an added novelty that you can read direct from the bag. Your audience will love that I promise! 🐰
That's an excellent suggestion next time I find myself needing a new way to recycle my paper bags. And I love Ruth Ozeki. I don't care how big a book she writes. She has a magic way with words and also breaks up her chapters and sections in a way that makes the book seem much less dense.
I never worry about breaking the spine of a book I buy but I would worry about it with a borrowed book.
The answer for me is simple: I adore long books if they are great reading. The long list of big modern books includes A Little Life, The Goldfinch, and The Historian. Classics include War & Peace, Moby-Dick, and many doorstops by Dickens like Bleak House. David Copperfield does not feel long, try it, you'll like it!
Thanks for introducing me to Jenny Ofill and Sigrid Nunez, I just put borrowed an Ofill and put a Nunez on hold at Libby library app. I love this newsletter!
That simple rule applies for sure. I did not love A Little Life even though I appreciated much about it. As for David Copperfield, I am very much looking forward to reading it. I have always thought I'd have read it by now.
I think you will like both Nunez and Offill. Start with Nunez' "The Friend" - it will open your heart in the most amazing way.
A Little Life had echoes of people I loved, so perhaps that was the connection. I look forward to meeting two new authors.
If I purchase a book that has hefty pages, I pull it apart in segments that are easily held; I do not enjoy weight-lifting when reading a book. Furthermore, since I get most of my books from a library I am forced to finish because of the time constraints on newly released books that must be returned by a certain date. And, although there are many exceptions, lengthy book writers have a tendency to give the reader TOO MUCH information that could easily be cut.
I think using books to tone my muscles might be a good way to justify hanging on to so many for so long. Thank you for the suggestion!
I’m currently halfway through WAR AND PEACE, with the cheerful guidance of Simon Haisell, whose Substack readalong has made this huge project possible. The longest book of my life is rewarding its length, drawing me into an entire world of turmoil, catastrophe, loyalty and love that is remarkably like our own. I listen toThandiwe Newton’s beautifully voiced audiobook while reading my ebook, which helps to keep me focused.
Tolstoy aside, I’m with you. I consider length before starting a book and rule out most of those over 350 pages. I’m grateful to writers like Sigrid Nunez and Patti Smith who deliver an entire experience in a chiseled book. Alice Munro could distill a life into a short story. I have relished a few long novels of my own time (A FINE BALANCE is among my books of a lifetime). But most writers of long books are trying my patience.
Have you found that your tolerance/appreciation for long books has changed over time? Just curious. I've noticed that in myself.
As for the writers you mentioned: Munro was a master of evoking entire lives in the space of a few pages. Nunez does much the same thing. I love how her mind works.
Yes, I am definitely less patient with long books. This is partly be ause of my shrinking attention span but also because many writers need more rigorous editing.
Oh, I'm doing the War and Peace readalong too and loving it. After many false starts over the years it's a joy to read along with so many like minded people and the little accessible summaries really help
They do indeed.
I love long books. Recent reads include Hild and the CJ Swanson Matthew Shardlake series.
Thank you for these recs, Susan!