The largest literary work. The longest book in the world by volume
Not all writers agree with the statement “Brevity is the sister of talent.” In today's selection we offer the longest novels in the history of literature. The authors spent years creating them. But it will take a lot of time to read them.
By the way, the novel “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy was in the top ten, so every Russian schoolchild can proudly say that he is familiar with one of the longest books first-hand.
10. “Tokugawa Ieyasu”, S. Yamaoka
This novel was published in parts in Japanese newspapers. If you collect all the parts into a single work, you will get at least 40 volumes. The plot of the novel is dedicated to the first shogun of the Tokugawa clan, who united the country and established peace in it.
9. " Quiet Don", M. Sholokhov
All four books that make up the novel take up about 1,500 pages. There are 982 characters in the novel, of which 363 are real historical characters. For "Quiet Don" Sholokhov was awarded with the consent of Stalin Nobel Prize.
8. “Les Miserables”, V. Hugo
Hugo created one of his main works over the course of eighteen years, from 1834 to 1852. Then the author revised the text several times, adding and removing various fragments.
7. “In Search of Lost Time”, M. Proust
This is a whole cycle of 7 novels, in which there are more than two thousand characters. The books are replete with emotional outbursts and bizarre narrative twists. In total, In Search of Lost Time contains more than one and a half million words, which occupy about 3,200 pages.
6. “The Forsyte Saga”, D. Galsworthy
Novel Nobel laureate amazes with clearly defined images of the characters. The work covers the history of the family from 1680 to the 1930s. “The Saga” formed the basis for 6 film adaptations, the most recent of which has a duration of 11.5 hours.
5. “War and Peace”, L. Tolstoy
Anyone who has read War and Peace can be divided into two categories. Some are completely delighted with the novel, others cannot stand it. But the epoch-making work in three volumes does not leave anyone indifferent.
4. “Quincanx”, C. Palliser
This work is a modern pastiche of a Victorian novel. Each of the two volumes has a volume of 800 pages depending on the edition. The plot is full of mysteries, symbolism and unexpected twists.
3. “Ulysses”, J. Joyce
The novel is considered one of the best works of English-language prose. Ulysses was written over seven long years and tells the story of a single day in the life of Dublin Jew Leopold Bloom. The novel was first published in parts between 1918 and 1920.
2. “Astraea”, O. d’Urfe
The novel was written over 21 years of hard work. The work in the first edition fit on 5,399 pages. Published in 1607, the novel tells the story of the love between the shepherdess Astraea and the shepherd Celadon. The book contains a lot of inserted short stories and poetic inclusions.
1. “People of Goodwill”, R. Jules
The novel by the French playwright, writer and poet was published in 27 volumes. The work contains more than two million words on 4,959 pages. The table of contents of the world's longest novel is about 50 pages long. It is noteworthy that the book does not have a single and clear storyline, and the number of characters exceeds four hundred.
Classmates
By Russian classical literature we mean the works of classics: writers who are not only exemplary, but also who have become symbols of Russian culture. Only the person who knows classical works, appreciates their merits, feels them inner beauty, can be considered truly educated. Today you will find out by opinion women's magazine Charla.
10 best books of Russian literature: “The Brothers Karamazov”
"The Brothers Karamazov" was conceived as the first part of the novel “The Life of a Great Sinner.” The first sketches were made in 1878, the novel was completed in 1880. However, Dostoevsky did not have time to complete his plans: the writer died a few months after the publication of the book. Most of The Brothers Karamazov was written in Staraya Russa, the prototype of Skotoprigonyevsk, where the main action takes place.Perhaps this novel can be considered the most complex and controversial work of the great Russian writer. Critics have dubbed it an “intellectual detective story,” and many call it the best work about the mysterious Russian soul. This is the last and one of the most famous novels by Dostoevsky, it was filmed both here and in the West, where, by the way, this work is held in special esteem. What is this novel about? Each reader answers this question differently. The author himself defined his great creation as “a novel about blasphemy and its refutation.” One thing is certain, this is one of the most profound philosophical works of world literature about sin, mercy, and the eternal struggle occurring in the human soul.
10 best books of Russian literature: “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
"Idiot"- Dostoevsky's fifth novel. Published from 1868 to 1869 in the Russian Bulletin magazine. This novel occupies a special place in the writer’s work: he is considered one of the most mysterious works Dostoevsky. Main character books - Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, whom the author himself called a “positively wonderful” person, the embodiment of Christian goodness and virtue. Having spent most of his life in seclusion, Prince Myshkin decided to go out into the world, but he did not know what cruelty, hypocrisy, and greed he would have to face: for his unselfishness, honesty, philanthropy and kindness, the prince was contemptuously nicknamed “idiot”...10 best books of Russian literature: “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy
Epic novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace" about the times of two wars against Napoleon - 1805 and 1812 - one of the most famous works not only Russian, but also world literature. This book is one of the eternal classics, because it reveals with deep skill the main components of human life: war and peace, life and death, love and betrayal, courage and cowardice. The greatest epic work is a tremendous success all over the world: the book was filmed several times, plays and an opera were staged based on it. The novel consists of four parts, the first part was published in 1865 in the Russian Messenger.The tragic novel about the love of married Anna Karenina for the handsome officer Vronsky is one of the greatest masterpieces of Russian literature, still relevant today. “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” - these lines are familiar to every person.
"Anna Karenina"- a complex, deep, psychologically sophisticated work that captures the reader from the first lines and does not let go until the end. The novel by the brilliant psychologist Tolstoy captivates with its absolute artistic authenticity and dramatic narrative, forcing the reader to watch intensely how the relationship will develop between Anna Karenina and Vronsky, Levin and Kitty. It is not surprising that this book captivated not only Russian readers, but also Europe and America.
10 best books of Russian literature: “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov
Bulgakov wrote this brilliant novel over the course of eleven years, constantly changing and adding to the text. However, Bulgakov never managed to see it published: a full thirty years passed before one of the greatest works of Russian prose of the twentieth century was allowed to be published. "The Master and Margarita"- the most mysterious and mystical novel in Russian literature. This book has received worldwide recognition: many countries around the world are trying to comprehend its secrets.10 best books of Russian literature: “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol
Gogol's immortal work "Dead Souls" about human tricks and weaknesses should definitely be in your home library. Gogol showed human souls very clearly and colorfully: after all, “ dead souls“- these are not only those that Chichikov bought, but also the souls of living people, buried under their petty interests.The novel was originally conceived in three volumes. The first volume was published in 1842. However, subsequent events have a mystical connotation: having finished the second volume, Gogol completely burned it - only a few chapters remained in the drafts. And ten days after that the writer died...
10 best books of Russian literature: “Doctor Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak
"Doctor Zhivago"- the pinnacle of Pasternak’s creativity as a prose writer. The writer created his novel over ten years from 1945 to 1955. This is a sincere and poignant love story against a backdrop of chaos. Civil War, which is accompanied by poems by the main character - Yuri Zhivago. These poems, written by Pasternak at different periods of his life, perfectly reveal the unique facets of the author’s poetic talent. For Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak received the Nobel Prize on October 23, 1958. But in the writer’s homeland, unfortunately, the novel became the cause of a huge scandal, and the book was banned for many years. Pasternak was one of the few who defended freedom of speech to the end. Perhaps this is what cost him his life...10 best books of Russian literature: collection of stories “Dark Alleys” by Ivan Bunin
Stories « Dark alleys» - frank, sincere, exquisitely sensual stories about love. Perhaps these stories can be considered the best example of Russian love prose. A Nobel Prize winner, a brilliant writer was one of the few authors of his time (the stories were written in 1938) who spoke so openly, sincerely and beautifully about the relationship between a man and a woman, about beautiful love that can last a lifetime... “Dark Alleys” "will definitely appeal to all women and girls as one of the most poignant stories about love.10 best books of Russian literature: “Quiet Don” by Mikhail Sholokhov
Epic novel "Quiet Don" in four volumes was published in 1940 in Roman-Gazeta. This is one of the largest works of Russian literature, which brought Mikhail Sholokhov world fame. Moreover, in 1965 the writer was awarded the Nobel Prize “For the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia.” This is a grand novel about fate Don Cossacks, a fascinating saga about love, devotion, betrayal and hatred. A book about which controversy continues to this day: some literary scholars believe that the authorship does not actually belong to Sholokhov. In any case, this work deserves to be read.10 best books of Russian literature: “The Gulag Archipelago” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Another Nobel Prize laureate, a classic of Russian literature, an outstanding writer of the 20th century is Alexander Solzhenitsyn, author of the world-famous documentary epic. "GULAG Archipelago", which tells about repressions in Soviet years. This is more than a book: it is an entire study based on personal experience the author (Solzhenitsyn himself was a victim of repression), documents and testimonies of many eyewitnesses. This is a book about suffering, tears, blood. But at the same time, it shows that a person can always remain human under the most difficult circumstances.Of course, this is far from full list outstanding books of Russian literature. Nevertheless, these are books that every person who appreciates and honors Russian culture should know.
Alisa Terentyeva
The longest published literary work in the history of publication is a novel called Men of Goodwill. Its author is a French writer, author of poetic and dramatic works, a scientist - Louis Henri Farigul, who became known under the pseudonym Jules Romain.
Some statistics
The novel “People of Goodwill” was published over 14 years, from 1932 to 1946, the publication included 27 volumes. According to estimates, the volume of this epic work was just under five thousand pages, and the number of words in it exceeded two million. To this considerable figure we can add the index and table of contents, which together occupy another 150 pages. Therefore, the number of words in the novel is approximately 2.5 times that of the Bible.
Jules Romain, who was a supporter of “right-wing” political ideas, in his work tried to give detailed description, assessment and explanation of contemporary events that took place in France in the first third of the twentieth century (the novel covers the period from 1908 to 1933) from the point of view of his beliefs.
This difficult task was solved by introducing a huge number of characters into the text, totaling more than four hundred, and real-life personalities in it coexist with fictional ones. Having collected in one book typical representatives of different walks of life and professions, the author takes them through the vicissitudes of difficult times and observes how their lives change.
In addition to the huge volume and quantity characters, distinctive feature The novel is the lack of a clear plot line. Each character acts in life circumstances in his own way, their stories intersect only in in rare cases. The plotlessness of the novel is not accidental. Romain used it as a new artistic technique, already in the preface to the book criticizing such works as “Roland” and “Proust” by his compatriot Balzac and other books that reveal the idea through the prism of an individual character.
Criticism of the novel “People of Good Will”
According to the author, the work was supposed to reflect the history and mood of European society, but the novel was negatively assessed by critics, and Romain was accused of distorting facts. This can be explained by the fact that right-wing beliefs were completely discredited after the end of World War II; accordingly, such a view of the events of the times described in the novel could not find support in the literary community. However, “People of Good Will” is a novel that gives, although tendentious, a very detailed picture of the life of an entire generation, so it is worth reading for those who are interested in history, sociology and philosophy.
The book is 1856 meters long
When asking which book is the longest, we primarily think about word length, not physical length. Although, for example, in the city of Castello, residents created the longest book in the world - 1856 meters. It was designed in the form of a huge papyrus scroll, which was carefully wound around a pole. As a result, 11 fairy tales were included in this creation. However, even with all the merits of the authors of the above-mentioned record, they are unlikely to have devoted their entire lives to this idea. Because the length of the word itself, and sometimes “depth”, is a more labor-intensive and serious quantity.
Jules Romain
It was Jules Romain who became the author of the long piece in the world. Its length in terms of the number of printed words (it’s hard to even imagine) exceeds 2 million! And the page index itself, measuring 50 sheets, causes a very mixed reaction. The novel is called “People of Goodwill” (Les Hommes de bonne volonte) and is composed of 27 volumes; the book was written over 14 years - from 1932 to 1946.
In the preface of his long creative marathon, the author questioned the structure of writing Balzac's masterpieces such as Proust and Roland. Because he considered the “mechanistic” idea of writing multi-volume novels, where the whole is revealed through an individual personality, unacceptable. That is, Jules Romain himself, publishing his first volume back in 1932, was confident in the idea of the chaotic and disorderly plot and the lives of all his characters (there were about 400 of them in “People of Good Will”).
Poverty, politics and culture
The longest book really has it all: criminality and spirituality, wealth and poverty, politics and culture. Moreover, of course, all events are supported by the ideas of history of that time. In general, the novel told about the events of 1908-1933. With this work, the author rather tried to help understand all the vicissitudes of the time of crisis that the French people faced. However, Jules Romain did not shy away from writing articles and essays on various scientific, political and literary topics - he was known as an erudite person.
However, the novel itself was subsequently subjected to harsh criticism. The literary world did not accept the work the way the creator wanted. The prosecution prescribed this work as a distorted statement of facts. Jules Romain has been criticized for misunderstanding history. Therefore, if you are ready to justify the writer, even in the 21st century, then start reading the longest book in the world.
Now it’s the turn to write about the longest book. The longest book I’ve read so far is probably “ ” :)
When asking which book is the longest, we primarily think about word length, not physical length. Although, for example, in the city of Castello, residents created the longest book in the world - 1856 meters. It was designed in the form of a huge papyrus scroll, which was carefully wound around a pole. As a result, 11 fairy tales were included in this creation. However, even with all the merits of the authors of the above-mentioned record, they are unlikely to have devoted their entire lives to this idea. Because the length of the word itself, and sometimes “depth”, is a more labor-intensive and serious quantity.
It was Jules Romain who became the author of the longest work in the world. Its length in terms of the number of printed words (it’s hard to even imagine) exceeds 2 million! And the page index itself, measuring 50 sheets, causes a very mixed reaction. The novel is called “People of Goodwill” (Les Hommes de bonne volonte) and is composed of 27 volumes; the book was written over 14 years - from 1932 to 1946.
In the preface of his long creative marathon, the author questioned the structure of writing Balzac's masterpieces such as Proust and Roland. Because he considered the “mechanistic” idea of writing multi-volume novels, where the whole is revealed through an individual personality, unacceptable. That is, Jules Romain himself, publishing his first volume back in 1932, was confident in the idea of the chaotic and disorderly plot and the lives of all his characters (there were about 400 of them in “People of Good Will”).
The longest book really has it all: criminality and spirituality, wealth and poverty, politics and culture. Moreover, of course, all events are supported by the ideas of history of that time. In general, the novel told about the events of 1908-1933. With this work, the author rather tried to help understand all the vicissitudes of the time of crisis that the French people faced. However, Jules Romain did not shy away from writing articles and essays on various scientific, political and literary topics - he was known as an erudite person.
However, the novel itself was subsequently subjected to harsh criticism. The literary world did not accept the work the way the creator wanted. The prosecution prescribed this work as a distorted statement of facts. Jules Romain has been criticized for misunderstanding history. Therefore, if you are ready to justify the writer, even in the 21st century, then start reading the longest book in the world.
It should not be excluded that Sohachi Yamaoka’s novel “Tokugawa Ieyasu” was published in Japanese daily newspapers starting in 1951. If it were published now that the novel is complete, it would be a 40-volume edition.
I think this novel by Sohachi Yamaoka “Tokugawa Ieyasu” also deserves the title of “The Longest Book”
