(long) classic books that are actually worth your time!

Interested in reading a long classic, but don't know which ones are actually worth your time? I'm here to (hopefully) help! :)

Hi friends!

Recently, I made a video about short classics that won't take you forever to read. After that video I asked myself, which long classics are worth the time it takes to read them? Which long classics are worth the longer commitment? Well, I made a list and here it is! Of course this is entirely my own opinion, but I truly think these books are worth every page and every second it takes to read them!
I hope you enjoy hearing about some of my all time favorite classics and (hopefully) find this list helpful!

***Also, I'd love to know in the comments which long classic books you think are worth your time as well!***

Best wishes,
Carolyn Marie :)

Videos Mentioned -

Books mentioned:
1) Great Expectation by Charles Dickens - 1:23
2) Emma by Jane Austen - 3:23
3) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - 4:58
4) Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - 8:31
5) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - 10:30
6) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - 12:37
7) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - 15:04
8) The Princess Bride by William Goldman - 18:37
9) A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway - 21:05
10) Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - 25:44
11) Don Quixote by Cervantes - 27:53
12) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - 32:39
13) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 33:41

My Social Media: CarolynMarieReads

***Want to write to me or send something?
Carolyn Castagna
P. O. Box 773
Greenlawn NY 11740
United States
***Please don't feel like you need to send me anything, but if you'd like to I would be honored!!!*** :)

***About me -
I'm a freelance illustrator and writer who recently graduated from college at the Fashion Institute of Technology with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in English/Writing.
My greatest passion in life is combining my love of illustrating, writing, and reading!

Happy Reading :)

#classicbooks #favoritebooks #booktube

[hewhewhewhew]

1:23 The Great Expectations
3:24 Emma
4:58 Les Miserables
8:32 Tess of the d'Urbervilles
10:31 Jane Eyre
12:37 Rebecca
15:05 Little Women
18:37 The Princess Bride
21:06 A Farewell to Arms
25:44 Anne of Green Gables
27:53 Don Quixote
32:40 War and Peace
33:43 Anna Karenina

Done, for my own safekeeping in future 😀

[suev]

As I’ve grown older I don’t pick up a book unless 450+ pages or more. When I turned 70 years old I determined to read nothing but classics I haven’t read. My list is still long at this age. Some favorites I read every year, especially Little Women. I wasn’t required reading classic literature in my school days until my senior year. I chose Gone With The Wind. It was my first reread at 70 and I’m having a good time. War and Peace is an excellent history, philosophy of life read to think on. Thanks for sharing.

[randomkiliinterviews]

I would add the Count of Monte Cristo, and Crime and Punishment. They are both highly readable and beautifully written.

[Emy-fhzn]

The Count of Monte Cristo is so worth it, it’s my favourite book ever. It’s a revenge plot that’s so intricate and satisfying

[ethanclark]

Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky is an amazing book (my favorite)! It's is very deep and psychological but also the character development and plot are really great.

[EminAnimE]

Anna Karenina and Don Quixote are in my top 3 books of all time together with The Brothers Karamazov. I'm currently reading War and Peace and it's been a joy, each passage is so impactful especially the very personal thoughts of the soldiers during the war.

[thirdonetoo]

Hello Caroline. I love how you give us the frame of a book and just enough hints to how it might be furnished with characters. You don’t give too much away, but just enough to get us in the front door. Thank-you for your introductions and your enthusiasm.

[maggskn]

My absolute #1 favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I read it in high school and I read it again now (in my late twenties) and it hit home even more. Absolutely incredible.

[christinegonzales]

I loved Moby-Dick, unabridged. Read it in high school. Reread it at age 60. Still brings me joy, memories, laughs, thoughtfulness on the human condition and the consequences of our actions.

[miumiuitgirl]

hi caroline i need to say this, you need to record an audiobook your voice is so soothing and rich that I could listen to it for hours plus the way you read with so much feeling actually makes me wanna read it right away so I would love it if you start your own audiobook podcast 🥰

[shilohpeterson]

I love the way you talk about books and can't wait for you to read Count of Monte Cristo! It is 1200+ pages but flies by so fast because the plot and characters are so interesting

[von]

This is the best Classic book review I've ever seen! You have a passion for the Classic and it shows. Thank you for this video.

[kristiannem]

Very nice, thank you for this. Rebecca is my favorite of all time. A few years ago, I found myself in Liverpool. I went into a beautiful building near the waterfront to see the architecture and in the lobby there was a cafe called "Mrs Danvers Cafe", with a picture of her with flames all around. I was so excited!

[olumbafamilyfaith]

i am à homeschooling mom of 7. my 12 year old is an avid reader. she read The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe in kindergarten, and had read half of the wonderful books on this list. the great thing about classic literature is that even a child can read them, without encountering much inappropriate content (except for hemingway, at times). she and i LOVE watching your channel together, you share our same enthusiasm for classic literature. God bless

[malexander]

When I was 13, I read "Les Misérables." (Unabridged.) Never read a book much longer than 200 pgs. Knew nothing except I was intrigued with the cover.

Reading such a large work in its entirety gave me an unparalleled & thrilling experience. One I worry many people miss out on when they avoid lengthy works of fiction: the utter, total immersion in another world. Even the longest Harry Potter novel had positively *nothing* on the scope & range of Hugo's generational saga. Its vivid reality, its seasonal progressions, its gritty details, its epic tone, its humans that change (or don't) over a long timespan, in lots of different geographical locations, and in history-defining moments.

At their best, novels can offer this unique experience. It can be ""Les Misérables, " or something else. I only urge the timid to get gutsy & dive into a novel that will do this for them. Nothing else can do it. No, not even television. And no, not even audiobooks!

(Sidenote: I dislike the musical, but like the 1998 film adaptation. Also: when I read it was the early 2000s, just before you could search wikipedia about the Battle of Waterloo or the Paris sewage system. In a way, this perhaps put me closer to the pre-internet audience of the novel!)

[thesinetales]

OMG!! I am 50 pages into Anna Karenina. As you said, the rambling in Leo Tolstoy books is absolutely amazing. Never have I ever felt so intrigued and involved by someone rambling. Great recommendations Caroline!

[johnbassett]

Thanks for a brilliant and informative presentation. Tolstoy is also my favourite author and Anna Karenina and War and Peace are my favourite novels and it is wonderful to hear you speak of them so fondly.

[daimena.cianci]

Great video! Don Quixote is my favorite big book. So funny, charming, and full of grand spirit.

[banjomechanic]

Years ago a coworker stated how he read Anna Karinina every year. I got a paperback copy online for a couple of bucks and was astounded how good it is. For a book that is so long it is a real page-turner.

[rubikkz]

thank you so much for reading the first sentences of classic books! english isn’t my native language even though i prefer reading in english. so i’ve always been scared to pick up classics because i’m afraid i won’t understand the art & messages behind the words. thanks to your samples i can visualize the english level needed & decide if i should read either in english or french! 🤗🌷