These 10 big books are worth your time - MUST READS! 

Hey all - here's an important note. I held up the Iliad, but confused it with the storyline of The Odyssey, which is the other poem by Homer. I do recommend them both. Apologies for the mistake! :)

John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” - probably my favorite book of all time.

I generally prefer longer books. If I'm going to invest time and effort in reading something, I might as well be in that world (or in that topic, if nonfiction) for a while. That's assuming, of course, I'm enjoying it. If you're slogging through a book and hating every minute of it, it feel like it will never end!

I strongly agree with the older books on your list. I think you are spot on. The newer books are not my favorites but I can see why you picked them. Good job!

I read Jane Eyre a few years ago. I looked at it as a project, "I SHOULD read this." I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it. But instantly did! I've read it twice since then and I hope to be re-reading it the rest of my life. I definitely want to take on Hunchback. I read Les Miserables a few years ago. It was not the easiest read, but I did enjoy it. (For the most part.) And, of course, I adore The Lord of the Rings. I will never stop re-reading it, until my eyeballs fall out!

I'm currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo and its just amazing.

I'm so excited to see this video starting to get some of the traction that your awesome channel deserves. I sincerely hope and believe that it is indicative of the explosion of growth that will soon transpire. Very much deserved! And thanks for this terrific video, as well. I've read and strongly agree with most of your choices and, based on your recommendation, will soon read the others. Thanks again!

Your editions of books are amazingly beautiful, definitely pieces of art.😻

It’s really rare that I see list like this, and completely agree with every book on the list. Well done. 👏🏻

A big book I recommend is A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.

The Hunchback from Notre Dame is also one of my favorite books of all time. ❤ I loved your suggestion, thank you!

The amount of post-its in your books!!! 🤩

The count of Monte Cristo is in my top 10 favourite books of all time! I was very happy when you said that you like it so much in your video review! I also want to read War and peace for such a long time, even have a very beautiful hard cover illustrated edition, but the length of the books is so intimidating 😭

The Count of Monte Cristo! One of my all-time faves!

My favorites are Anna Karenina, War and Peace and Gone With the Wind. Highly recommend to lovers of classic readers!

Kingsbridge series by ken follet one of my fav of all time Which you mention first book ( pillar of the earth ) ....my God , what a book !!!!!

Good luck with what you choose to read, I hope you get some great stories. Currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo. Very good but I maybe some time!

Great selections! As a Hugo lover, I highly recommend his THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, maybe his best novel, preferably in the Isabel Hapgood translation if you can find it.

Your recommendations are always appreciated, and I'm excited to dive into these reads. Subscribing to your newsletter sounds like a great way to stay updated on your book club and other platforms. Looking forward to more great recommendations and discussions! 📚🕯

I loved your picks, but I cheered when you held up "Les Miserables", because I love that one, and consider it one of my favourite reads ever. You also reminded me that I haven't yet read "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and it's now at the top of my list, because I think I would also love reading that. Thank you.

Nice recommendations! Good taste. You have some very nice editions of those books. That LOTR cover is very appealing

Hello Emmelie! I hope you are doing well. This was a great video and I really enjoyed it (especially when you mentioned my most favorite author of classic literature which made me smile). With the exception of Les Miserable, I have read all of the classic literature books you mentioned and also TLOTR and enjoyed them all. I also pronounce Don Quixote the same way you did so I think you are correct. I look forward to your next video and the start of your book club next week. Have a great week!

Great recommendations! I have just discovered I like long books after avoiding for years. I just read and enjoyed the Makioka Sisters by Tanazaki which is a chunky one. I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver too. That’s a beautiful copy of Jane Eyre you have.

Great video certainly Les Mis, War & Peace and The COunt of Monte Cristo are in my top ten books, not read Notre Dame de Paris yet or Lord of the Rings although I did read The Fellowship of the Ring when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing.

I would recommend The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. An amazing novel written ten centuries ago by a Japanese woman. Very long, but worth every page.

Great!!! These books are gorgeous, so are you! have a nice day.

You have a very relaxing voice 😊

Really interesting choices, and although I haven’t read all of them I totally agree with them. Although I would pick Wuthering Heights over Jane Eyre if you had to chose one Bronte novel. Thankfully there nothing stopping anyone reading all of the sisters’ different works.😊

Just stumbled upon your channel amidst a reading break. Fantastically inspiring content, thank you!

Already read most of them, and yep, they are great, my fave is the Cervantes one: Don Quixote is so funny!

❤📚❤️ I read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett last year, and I loved it! I'm reading Middlemarch by George Eliot now and again loving it. I have The Count of Monte Cristo on my tbr. 😊

I know it isnt a novel, but a big book I feel you'd find fascinating is Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock. In short, its a massive critique of archeology, ancient history and egyptology. He outlines why he thinks humanity's history goes back far further than what experts believe. He also has a Netflix mini series as well called Ancient Apocalypse. His discoveries are great for the imagination, and makes for a very interesting topic of conversation after you read/watch what he's discovered.

One large book I'd highly recommend is Gone With the Wind. Just checking it now, Amazon has the various versions at over 1,000 pages. That surprised me because it really doesn't feel that way! Even if you've never seen the movie, it's like a movie in your head. It's also not a sappy romance like everyone thinks. If it was, I never would have bothered with it. (That's what I thought Jane Eyre was, and that's why I avoided it for years.) It really is more character studies and family drama (in the good sense of the word) and a look into a place and time with a lot of change and upheaval. I'm in my 50s and have been re-reading it since I was in 8th grade. My beloved paperback is pieces. I finally had to retire it. It now lives safely in a plastic baggie, on my bookshelf. I'm surprised it hasn't crumbled into dust by now. But I can't bear to get rid of it. It's been with me all these years.

Our tastes are so similar! The only book in the list I don't own yet is "Warbreaker", and that is because I've just started reading "Mistborn" this year. I'll definitely get to it, sooner or later. 😊 "War and Peace" and "Don Quixote" are still unfinished on my shelf, too. All the others are books I've read and loved.

Almost all these books are on my tbr! I was really enjoying The Pillars of the Earth but I am currently obsessed with Dune and all other books have fallen aside for the moment. I will get back to it soon though, it was very good.

Wonderful list. I was very glad to see Lord of the Rings and War and Peace are on your list. It surprised me that the Hunchback of Notre Dame (Notre Dame de Paris) is your favorite book. Lord of the Rings is mine!

Lovely video, thank you. Based on the books you recommend here, may I suggest you would also love 'Kristin Lavransdatter' by Sigrid Undset. My absolute favourite, but it hardly ever makes it onto other people's lists.

The Betrothed is a personal favorite, seldom found on lists. Give it a try.

Cervantes was participated in the battle of Lepanto. He lost a hand in the battle. What happened then and the next year is why he wrote Don Quioxte

You did fine with your pronunciation of Don Quixote ... I haven't read all the books on your list; I have read War and Peace, which was a struggle which took me several years. I read Lord of the Rings, and the good thing about that is that I'll never have to read it again. The Count of Monte Cristo, and Les Miserables, I read in abridged editions - I fear this may have spoiled me for reading the whole of the books, though I hope not. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Jane Eyre, I have tucked under my belt - the HB of ND is a difficult read. I have no good memory of reading Ken Follet's other books, so am reluctant to devote time to your recommendation. And I've never heard of the author of your last book. I think that we are ready for certain books at different times in our lives - probably, I should have read LOTR either when I was much younger, or maybe not later: I still remember closing it on page 1,000 and muttering "thank God, it's over!". Quite big books I've read, and would recommend to you - Crime and Punishment; Barnaby Rudge; Kidnapped; Quentin Durward; and, if you can find them, some of the novels - not all - by Ernest Raymond: if he could do nothing else, he was a genius with dialogue. Now a question: I've never read Marcel Proust - I have steered resolutely away from him; should I overcome my instinctive avoidance?

Already read pillars of the earth and lord of the rings. Amazing stories.

Fagles translation of homer is excellent. He won awards for it.

Great choices. I'd also add Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.

That is quite the list, I still need to read six of them. I better get busy.

I had to read the Iliad in high school - no options. Probably as a teenager's protest, I read the Aeneid. - It's what happens to the losers after the Trojan War, leading to the ultimate founding of Rome. I was surprised (after all, this was a read-in-protest book) how interesting it was. And, yes, Lord of the Rings was/is one of my favorites.

Where do you buy such beautiful books! That 'Jane Eyre' book cover is stunning❤

Mmm, the late author Somerset Maughan suggested leaving ' must reads ' for a few years - after which, amazingly many must reads become don`t bother`s !!!!! I appreciate your selections, even if I have some serious reservations. New readers should also note that publishers are well aware of the visual attraction of ' big books ' and have, over many years employed a range of techniques to turn modest size books into big books ; larger typefaces, additional leading and spacing, heavier paper and so on and so on. So, people should be conscious of the fact that big does not necessarily equate to better - far from it, just highly subjective in a very competitive and aggressive marketplace. That being said, you still provide some interesting and informative insights, to aid readers to reach their own conclusions - so well done :)

I've just subscribed. I've seen this video and only skimmed through the others titles. This is the only channel so far that centres around the books I have read myself 😱 Hugo, Dumas, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Homer, Follett, Pushkin, Scott, Tolkien... So I'll most likely watch all the videos. My favourite author right now is Dickens. I'd recommend 'Great Expectations' but you should maybe read it in a good translation 😉 to avoid the somewhat obsolete language. Poetry is not to be read in translation though. 😊👋🏻

Jane Eyre, one if those books that doesn't sound interesting but actually is. I laughed alot at the bickering, banter and jabbing between Jane and Mr Rochester. The whole thing with Jane as kid and her first real friend really hits the feels. That Spanish Don Quixote edition is beautiful! I like when publishers take big books and split them in multiple volumes, can make it easier to read.

New subscriber here. The translations of the Iliad and Odyssey by Robert Fagles are outstanding. (Much better than the old Rouse translations.) The more recent translations of both by Emily Wilson are also worth a look. I am no stranger to reading books with more than a thousand pages but War and Peace has never held my interest.

My advice on reading big books! 😍 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HlPU2Iqyf_Q.html

00:55 Дон-Кихот 01:58 Нотр-Дам де Пари Гюго 05:19 Роман выложен в открытый доступ на сайте автора!

That's a wonderful list of fat books, Emmelie. You seem to enjoy those old historical epic novels. I've read the two Victor Hugo novels. I have a 100+ year old copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is both illustrated and partially bug eaten, and Les Miserables which is pretty good with the liberty, equality, and fraternity stuff. Hugo still makes dictators tremble, American, European, Asian, or African. Don Quixote is another magnificent novel, which will never grow old. I recently bought a cheap copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. I know I'll eventually read that one eventually also. I've never read the Lord of the Rings books. I'm a big fan of The Hobbit, the book Tolkien wrote that preceded LOTR. That book has brilliant characters, great action, fine dialogue, and is told within the mythological format of a journey. I found a hardcover copy that had the runes on the end papers which has a clever riddle which you get to solve. Smaug might steal the show in that novel, but he is a dragon of smoke and fire, with real bite. I'd hate to be his dentist! Are you a fan of the Cixin Liu books? Three Body Problem is currently being shown on Netflix. IQ84 by Murakami might be worth your time. This book is a rewrite of 1984 by Orwell from a Japanese point of view, set in recent times. Somersault by Kenzaburo Oe is an interesting book for me. It's about these two Japanese guys that start a new religion, based on elements of Buddhism and Christianity, and built around the theme of repentance. It's loosely based on the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan that put canisters of deadly sarin gas at busy subway locations in Tokyo on March 20, 1995. Shorter books are good too, Emmelie. I'm currently reading Letters Concerning the English Nation by Voltaire written in 1733. This book was written during Voltaire's three year visit to England. In this book, he develops his ideas about what it means to be "Enlightened." It has to do with thinking rationally, appreciating the genius of Sir Isaac Newton, rejecting superstition, opposing tyranny, distributing wealth fairly in society, and supporting intellectual freedom. This book, and several others, helped spread the Enlightenment in Europe. Thank god he wasn't burned at the stake like Joan of Arc. Also, he rewrote this book twice in French. It goes by the name of Lettres Philosophique. The last edition had a couple extra essays added to it. Great job, Emmelie! Good luck with your future reading and writing, and on all your tests at Harvard.

I would recommend to you David Copperfield. Its a masterpiece. My favorite book of all time

Shantaram a n amazing must read big book

I really enjoyed OED

I have most of those! War and Peace, the Count of Monte Cristo, The Lord of The Rings, and The Illiad two different translations.

I would like to add the Arabian/1001 nights and Robinson Crusoe (this one is not that big but certainly long for our modern standards). Also, Anna Karenina by Tolstoi.

Great list… I love to see Lord of the Rings included! It is one of my most reread books.

The usual title in English of the first VIctor Hugo novel is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There have been many movie versions. Perhaps watching one of those first may help.

A couple of notes. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was by atheist Hugo and saved the cathedral which was going to ruin. Next you might want to go on to Emile Zola. Also in French there is "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal. Further abroad from Japan there is a contemporary novel "Sea of Fertility" by Yukio Mishima in three volumes, one of my favorites. Further back in time try the Chinese classics. My favorite is "Jin Ping Mei"(the golden lotus), but there are also "The Water Margin", "Dream of the Red Chamber", "Journey to the West"(aka "Monkey"). These are long. A hint, if there are Chinese bookstores near you, they may have translations from China which will be much cheaper than Western ones.

Even some grown men have years down their faces reading Les Miserables. It is in my top ten.....ah , Jean Valjean, Cosset and Marius.... yes, you know the scene 😓😥😓😥😥

Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo were possibly both influenced by Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," in which the title character falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains in the British Colony of New York, and wakes up in the State of New York in the United States of America. Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas possibly liked the idea of a man "sleeping" through a revolution, and having to adapt to new political environment. But instead of sleeping, going to a prison, where he wasn't kept apprised of the latest news was more believable.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is wonderful and I love Victor Hugo.

I hear the term TBR used allot what does it mean?

Would you consider covering any Charles Dickens novels in the future?

"Hadji Murad" by Leo Tolstoy is another great read only 100 pages.

Always remember that no-one is standing behind you forcing you to read anything. If it bores, fling it. No-one cares if you've read these heaving tomes of scribble. Life is too short for reading rhubarb. As Larkin infamously said "Books are a load of crap"

thanks

is Don Quixote edition ilustrated if it is can you show it in another video

Surprisingly, I came to love Dickens’ David Copperfield

Crime and Punishment or anything by Dostoevsky is awesome

You might like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

Awesome list! Don Quixote and War and Peace are my all time favourites!! 🥰 currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo

for fantasy, The Chronicles of Amber by Rodger Zelazny

strong selection, but not all are among my favorites. i cannot see why don quijote would be worth every minute of my time.. maybe im not looking for entertainment, but for a more meaningful read

The Iliad is NOT about the adventures of Odysseus in the Trojan War. Apparently you are confusing the Iliad with the other famous Homeric poem the Odyssey which is about the adventures of Odysseus. You might also want to check out the English translations by Richmond Lattimore. I find that Lattimore’s translation of the Iliad is more aesthetically pleasing in my subjective opinion. 😊

4:30 😍

Sanderson is the odd man out here. I tried reading the first book in his Stormlight Archive series and just couldn't get into it. I give a massive recommendation to The Count of Monte Cristo. I recently finished it and had intended to then go to Les Miserables but I ended up deciding to tackle Moby Dick instead. I will get to Les Mis eventually. And War and Peace.

the best novels are about human behavior The real enemy is desire check out Alberta and Jacob by Sandal...i think you'll dig it!

The Iliad Don Quixote The hunchback of notredame Jane eyre Les miserables War and peace The count of monte cristo Pillars of the earth The Lord of the rings War breaker

A Tale of Two Cities, The Fountainhead, Crime and Punishment are three on my top ten. Didn't care for The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm reading Jane Eyre as we speak. Faulkner's Light in August and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.....not big books but nice classics, right?

I like "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Parts of it are coming true now. I'm not a fan of the romance parts.

Your Beauty always makes my day. thank you sunshine

I will be finishing Brothers Karamazov tomorrow just to Start War and Peace!, thank you for this video….how can one buy the quality of books in your video, it’s difficult to buy these books in Nigeria…I want to read Hugo and Homer but can’t buy them here 😢

If a book is capable of spraining my fingers I’m going with kindle.

No Dickens?

Where are u from¿

Stop moving your hand when you present the book. We can't see the front well.

You need to tell me how you make your videos under 10 minutes 😅

please do not wave or shake when you bring up the book,,, thanks