Are Long Classic Books Worth the Time and Effort?
Long classic books are a time investment, for sure. So is it worth your precious reading hours to begin something that will take you hundreds upon hundreds of pages to finish? Here’s why Yes they’re worth the challenge, plus six strategies for tackling long classics and seventeen long classic books worthy of your attention.
Guest post by Michelle Watson
The year was 2012. My hand cradled my smartphone. This miniature machine was new to me. So were apps. Weird little things. I’d heard about one app in particular, and I wanted it. It was called OverDrive.
According to the Internet, this app would allow me to listen to audiobooks from my library on the very phone I was holding at that moment. What a tantalizing idea!
After downloading and setting up OverDrive, I recklessly picked The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, narrated by Bill Homewood.
This is an incredibly long classic that clocks in at a whopping 52 hours and 41 minutes. Most paperback versions are over a thousand pages. That’s massive. Plus, the story is complicated and meandering. It’s quite the adventure, but it also gets downright depressing.
How do you think I reacted to this audiobook?
A. I listened for 30 agonizing hours and lost the will to continue.
B. I forced myself to finish because, you know, bucket list.
C. The story held me spellbound, and I polished it off in a month.
The correct answer is C. The Count of Monte Cristo remains one of my best-loved reading experiences to date. I ran headlong into it because I was young, and I had time on my hands.
At this point in my life, I don’t plunge into long classics like I used to. I hesitate. And I completely understand the question, “Are long classic books worth the investment of time and effort?”
My answer is YES. (Most of the time.)
After reading many long classic books over the years, I’ve compiled some tips that I hope will help you approach the right book at the right time with the right expectations.
First, let me explain why I think long classics are worth reading.
3 Reasons to Read Long Classic Books
Long classics aren’t to be trifled with. Sometimes, we need a little pep talk to take the first step on a thousand-page journey. Here are three reasons why I think long classic books are worth it.
1. You Get the Deep-Story Experience
This is my personal No. 1 motivator to read long classic books.
These tomes offer a depth of storytelling that shorter works can’t. The author has the space to develop complex characters, intricate plots, and immersive settings. Allowing yourself to steep in this world for weeks on end—it changes you, just like hot water changes to tea.
Think of it like this. Reading a long classic is like watching all six episodes of the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice (nearly 5 and a half hours) versus watching the 2005 film (2 hours).
The more time you spend with these characters, the more profound your connection to them. You finish the book, but the story stays with you long after. Why? Because, well, you’ve earned it.
2. You’ll Better Understand the Book’s Literary Impact
Many long classics have profoundly influenced literature and popular culture. Engaging with these works allows you to see why.
It’s neat to finish one of these iconic classics and then—voila—you’re picking up on references in other literary works or even culture at large. It’s like you’ve been inducted into an exclusive club.
3. It’s an Intellectual Challenge
Long classics can be mentally taxing, there’s no getting around it.
But is that a bad thing? I say NO.
Just as physical exercise strengthens your muscles, tackling a long classic strengthens your mental muscles, especially your attention span. You will be tempted to abandon your long classic—that’s normal—but you will push through, and you’ll be glad you did.
These books will challenge you to engage with complex themes that don’t fit nicely into boxes. They ask questions that don’t have easy answers. They show you what it means to be a multifaceted, contradictory human individual. They remind us of the past, often helping us interpret the present. Not to mention: they are written way above a comfortable reading level.
This brain work may not be the most relaxing thing you’ve ever done, but there’s no denying the rewards.
6 Strategies to Make Reading a Long Classic Easier
Are you pumped to read a long classic book? Here are some of my favorite tips to set the stage for an enjoyable journey.
1. Set your pace (fast or slow)
Decide if you want to read your long classic quickly or slowly. What sounds more exciting to you?
- Reading a few pages every day over the course of a year
- Reading a lot of pages every day and finishing in a month
I’m not a huge fan of reading schedules in general, but having one can be a lifesaver when reading a thousand-pager. I like to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Here’s how to make a reading schedule: Decide when you want to finish the book, and then divide the page count (or chapters) by the number of days (or weeks) between now and then so that you have a daily (or weekly) goal. Hit that goal, and you’ll finish on time.
2. Choose your format (print, audio, or both)
I love listening to long classics on audio. A talented narrator uses his or her voice to make the story come alive with emotion and meaning. This can help if you’re struggling to grasp complex writing. Even if you don’t understand the words, you get a sense of the emotional undertones via the narrator’s performance.
Plus, you don’t have to struggle through unpronounceable names. Hooray!
It took me eight years (that’s not a typo!) to read Les Miserables in print, starting and stopping, on and off. So, finishing The Count of Monte Cristo in a month on audio felt like nothing in comparison.
Even if you listen primarily on audio, you may want to also read in print as well. Tandem reading is a great way to stay on track and experience the book in different ways.
On the other hand, some dense texts can be nearly impossible to understand on audio because you need an annotated print copy with clarifying footnotes (more on that below).
Audible has thousands of great audiobooks in their library, including some of the world’s longest classic novels! Try it for free here.
3. Don’t sweat the details
Here’s a dirty little secret. In very long books, the details don’t matter. Okay, they do, but they don’t carry as much weight as in, say, a short story. Just let them wash over you, and don’t worry about catching every last thing.
Don’t rewind your audiobook if your mind wanders for five minutes. Chances are, Charles Dickens is still describing the orphanage’s dining hall, and you’ll pick up the thread just fine.
4. Do cheat
Long classics are complex, and you’ll likely need help keeping things straight. The Internet is brimming with supplements. For example, you can find character lists and family trees to keep track of who’s who.
If you use an e-reader, such as a Kindle, then you have easy access to a dictionary to define archaic words. (What’s a “reticule”? A purse!)
When I’m reading a text that’s older and harder than Moses’s stone tablets, I break down and get an annotated print version. “Books” like The Odyssey by Homer or The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer are gorgeous—but only if you can actually follow the story! I find that a lot easier if I read slowly and consult footnotes.
5. Consider audio dramas, abridgements, and screen adaptations
When it comes to long classics, I’m a big fan of spoiling the plot ahead of time. Yep, call me crazy, but I love getting a simplified version of the story under my belt before I tackle the real thing.
Doesn’t that, you know, ruin it?
Not necessarily. It does spoil the plot, yes. But these stories often span decades and generations, juggling perhaps a dozen intertwining plotlines. Exposing yourself to the narrative as a whole provides helpful scaffolding for a complete reading of the original.
Watching a TV or movie adaptation of your book is the quickest way to familiarize yourself with the basic story. Plus, watching a quality adaptation can increase your hunger for the real thing. But be warned: You can’t expect the book to BE the movie. The book will stand apart with its own strengths and weaknesses, and you’ve got to accept that or be disappointed.
Listening to an audio drama can be fun, too. That’s where a cast of actors, usually with the help of a narrator, performs the story like reader’s theater or a radio play. Listening to one of these is a great way to build up to reading the novel in full.
Don’t discount abridged versions. Take Les Miserables. Half the book advances the plot. The other half is filled with essays on French history, politics, and socio-economics. You can skip those without affecting the tale of Valjean and Javert in the slightest.
6. Discuss it (or, listen to other people discuss it)
Did your book club flat-out reject your suggestion to read War and Peace? Boo!
Ask around and see if you can get at least one person to buddy read with you. Discussing the book with another human being is a great way to profoundly connect with the story—not to mention your buddy reader!—and stay accountable so you actually finish.
What if you can’t convince anyone to read with you? There’s no shame in resorting to podcasts. Here are some of my favorite podcasts that exist solely to discuss literature.
- The Literary Life Podcast, hosted by Angelia Standford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks
- Close Reads, hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
- Storytime for Grownups, hosted by Faith Moore
- The Gibson Girl Review, hosted by Amy Drown, Jacintha Meredith, and Amanda G. Stevens
List of 17 Long Classic Books to Try
Hopefully by now, you want to read a long classic, and you know how to approach it. All that’s left is deciding which book to tackle. Here is a list of 17 to get you started, ordered roughly from longest on down.
1.War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Page Count: ~1,400 pages
Audiobook Length: ~61 hours
A sweeping epic of love, war, and Russian society during the Napoleonic era, War and Peace explores human nature, destiny, and the search for meaning amid chaos. Dive into Tolstoy’s unparalleled tapestry of characters and philosophical reflections.
2. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Page Count: ~1,200 pages
Audiobook Length: ~60 hours
Victor Hugo’s masterpiece weaves a story of love, redemption, and justice against the backdrop of 19th-century France. Jean Valjean’s struggle for redemption and Javert’s obsession with justice make this an unforgettable read.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Feel free to skip the essays, but please don’t be intimidated by this one. It’s sad, but it succeeds in depicting the heart of redemption. I dislike all film and TV adaptations because they just cannot do it justice. If you get the opportunity to see a live production of the musical, don’t miss it.
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Page Count: ~1,200 pages
Audiobook Length: ~52 hours
A gripping tale of betrayal, revenge, and ultimate redemption, The Count of Monte Cristo follows Edmond Dantès as he embarks on a meticulously crafted plan to settle the score with those who wronged him.
I recommend the Naxos audiobook narrated by Bill Homewood.
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Page Count: ~964 pages
Audiobook Length: ~35 hours
Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is a rich examination of love, passion, and society, with Anna’s doomed affair as its central storyline. Set against the backdrop of Russian aristocracy, this novel dissects the complexity of human emotions and societal norms.
I highly recommend the Audible Studios production narrated by actress Maggie Gyllenhall.
Audible has thousands of great audiobooks in their library, including some of the world’s longest classic novels! Try it for free here.
5. Middlemarch by George Eliot
Page Count: ~880 pages
Audiobook Length: ~32 hours
George Eliot’s magnum opus offers a penetrating exploration of 19th-century English provincial life, focusing on the intertwined destinies of its flawed yet endearing characters. Full of wit, wisdom, and moral complexity, Middlemarch is a deeply human novel.
I highly recommend the Naxos audiobook narrated by actress Juliet Stevenson.
6. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Page Count: ~800 pages
Audiobook Length: ~35 hours
This philosophical drama delves into themes of faith, free will, and moral dilemmas. As the Karamazov brothers grapple with the murder of their father, Dostoevsky unearths profound existential questions that resonate through the ages.
I confess, I don’t remember much about this one, which I listened to for free on Librivox, but I will forever associate it with cooking dinner in my matchbox-sized San Diego condo.
7. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Page Count: ~800 pages
Audiobook Length: ~36 hours
A sprawling narrative of mystery, love, and the failings of the British legal system, Bleak House is both a scathing social critique and a compelling personal drama. Dickens’ unforgettable characters and biting satire shine.
I also highly recommend watching the 2005 BBC miniseries, starring Anna Maxwell Martin.
8. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Page Count: ~1,000 pages
Audiobook Length: ~49 hours
Margaret Mitchell’s epic tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a headstrong Southern belle, as she navigates love, survival, and the changing tides of the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
This was the first long book I’d ever read, as an immature high schooler. For a month, I stayed up way past my bedtime to knock back “just one more chapter.” The movie is quite an experience in its own right.
9. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
Page Count: ~1,200 pages
Audiobook Length: ~55 hours
Tolkien’s legendary trilogy whisks readers into Middle-earth, where hobbits, elves, and wizards unite against the rising darkness of Sauron. A monumental tale of courage, friendship, and epic battles between good and evil.
I highly recommend the most recent audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the Peter Jackson films. He acts his heart out!
10. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
Page Count: ~976 pages
Audiobook Length: ~34 hours
A rambunctious romp through 18th-century England, Fielding’s novel brims with lively characters, humorous twists, and scandalous adventures. Tom Jones is a satirical commentary on society, morality, and human folly.
I had to read this in college. It’s considered one of the very first novels, when the genre was emerging in the 1700s. Given the scandalous content, no wonder they didn’t want young girls reading them!
11. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Page Count: ~800 pages
Audiobook Length: ~31 hours
Dickens’ debut novel follows the humorous and lighthearted adventures of Mr. Pickwick and his friends as they journey across the English countryside. Full of wit, satire, and heart, The Pickwick Papers is a delightful romp through Victorian life.
This is Charles Dickens at his least depressing. This is one novel that you read primarily for laughs and period charm. It’s not the meatiest of classics, but it’s one of the most charming.
12. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Page Count: ~640 pages
Audiobook Length: ~38 hours
An enchanting retelling of the Arthurian legends, White’s The Once and Future King presents King Arthur’s rise and fall with profound humanity, touching on themes of war, leadership, and love.
My tenth-grade English teacher got away with assigning this to us, can you believe it? I have great memories of it, but that’s mostly due to lively class discussions.
13. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Page Count: ~600 pages
Audiobook Length: ~25 hours
A sprawling tale of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, East of Eden is Steinbeck’s retelling of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. It explores themes of sin, guilt, and the possibility of redemption.
I don’t agree with Steinbeck on a lot of things, but you can’t deny that the man can write gorgeous prose.
14. The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
Page Count: ~550 pages (combined)
Audiobook Length: ~40 hours (combined)
Homer’s epic poems are foundational texts in Western literature, telling the story of the Trojan War (The Iliad) and Odysseus’s perilous journey home (The Odyssey). These works explore heroism, fate, and the will of the gods.
If you’re going to read just one, definitely pick The Odyssey!
15. The Metamorphoses by Ovid
Page Count: ~500 pages
Audiobook Length: ~13 hours
Ovid’s sweeping narrative of myth and transformation recounts tales of gods, heroes, and mortals, spinning a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that have inspired art, literature, and culture for centuries.
16. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Page Count: ~500 pages
Audiobook Length: ~19 hours
A timeless Gothic romance, Jane Eyre follows the passionate and determined orphan as she navigates hardship, independence, and forbidden love. Brontë’s novel is celebrated for its strong heroine, intricate plot, and exploration of social class and morality.
I highly recommend the Audible Studios production narrated by actress Thandie Newton.
17. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Page Count: ~500 pages
Audiobook Length: ~19 hours
This beloved classic follows the lives, trials, and triumphs of the four March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—as they navigate the passage from childhood to adulthood with grace, humor, and heart.
Everyone should be required to read this book in order to graduate from adolescence. (Too bad I don’t have super-strong opinions, huh?) You can also enjoy a couple of star-studded film adaptations with this one.
What long classic books do you recommend?
I’d love to hear about your experience with the literary giants. Please leave a comment and recommend a long classic that left a lasting impression on you.
Further Reading for Serious Readers
About the author
Michelle Watson lives in the mountains of Arizona with her husband, two little boys, and way too many bookshelves. She loves interviewing authors, writing book reviews, and diving into the literary deep end on Substack at Library Binding and on her blog, The Book Devotions. When she’s not being bookish, you can find her serving as VP of Homemaking, playing around with yarn, or eating chocolate chips straight from the bag.
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset! It is INCREDIBLE. Also just finished The Aeneid with my Well Read Mom group.
Thanks for the encouragement and admonishment! I truly appreciate long classics, have read almost half the ones on this list and chafe at the lack of character development in modern stories. However, I have observed that the past couple years my attention span has decreased and it’s hard to take the dive into a long classic. Audiobooks really help. But this post also reminds me of the importance of not losing the this skill!
It is kind of like a muscle that can atrophy or grow, I feel like. I’ve certainly experienced dry spells were I just couldn’t focus on long or difficult classics, and I had to exercise those reading muscles again! The payoff is worth it.
I have read several of these, and have added the rest to my TBR list. With big books, I seem to do better with audiobooks, though I have read many of these in hard copy. I’m a retired librarian and have had several spirited discussions with fellow librarians around “Does it still ‘count’ as reading to listen to a book?” (I’m firmly on Team Yes). Recommendations? Anything Thomas Hardy. Great Expectations is a nice addition, if one wants to continue with Dickens. Ivanhoe, if you like medieval romance (in the broadest sense of the word).
And to Elsie: love, love, all the Betsy-Tracy-and-Tib books. My family-and-friends name is Betsy, and, as I grew up in a time where my name was considered old-fashioned, I was thrilled to discover a whole shelf of books with a heroine with my name! I just wish Ms Lovelace had continued past the last book, much like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “The First Four Years”. Oh, well.
Was Lovelace planning to continue the series? I didn’t know that! I agree on the Wilder books…I really wish Laura (and Rose) had been able to keep going. I have an old-fashioned name, too, of course! Over the years for birthdays and Christmases, my parents gifted me about a dozen of the Elsie Dinsmore books. I know some people really dislike those books, but they have a special place in my heart and I loved having a heroine with my name!
Laura, Kristin Lavransdatter definitely should’ve been on the list! It’s been on my radar for a while now, but I have heard such good things.
Sarah, I hope the admonishment wasn’t harsh! It sounds like you’re well able to tackle anything on this list—but I can relate to your perceived decrease in attention span. Because I have so many “easy” forms of entertainment that are just a click away, I have to push myself toward anything rigorous. There is a time for everything, though. I definitely enjoy a popcorn book or a cupcake movie when my brain is fried!
Popcorn book, cupcake movie…love that! I love throwing those in too, especially on evenings when I’m more sleepy!
B. Jennings, oh, to live the librarian life! How wonderful. I agree that audiobooks count as reading. It’s not the same experience (one happens via the eyes, the other happens via the ears) but it 100 percent counts in my opinion. I love long classics on audio. In a way, I feel “carried” through the book.
I needed this encouragement! I started Les Mis last year for school and am still ticking away at it for this school year too. I have a little under 200 pages left and am clueless to how Victor Hugo is going to pull all of this together haha! I HAVE really enjoyed it, but yes, the essays can get really long. The only thing that keeps me going is once I’m through with the book I can listen to the audio drama (the Focus on the Family one. They have done “Little Women,” Anne, Narnia and others) and maybe that will help clear my muddled head. 🙂
I didn’t realize Focus had done a Les Mis! We really like their Narnia books.
A long classic I got sucked into and couldn’t put down was The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins – the characters, the mystery, the tension…. It was a ‘step away from the book, it’s 3am’ job!
I just may try out The Once and Future King.
Oh yes, The Woman in White!! Such a page turner.
What a lovely post, Michelle. I love your list of classics. Thank you! I have just started reading long classics in the last several years and I’ve found it so rewarding. Les Mis is a classic I want to get to soon. I’ve been reading mostly Victorian lit so far, and some of my favorites are Daniel Deronda by George Eliot, Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens, The Pillars of the House by Charlotte Mary Yonge, and Anthony Trollope’s six-book Barsetshire series.
I really want to read Daniel Deronda. I watched the miniseries ages ago and loved it. I’m going to go look up the Yonge one!
Tom Jones is 100% worth it unless you are very pressed for time. Not Ivanhoe. Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock is the perfect substitute for Ivanhoe.