These lengthy books, ranging from just under 500 pages to a whopping 945 pages, are hefty enough to keep you occupied for long stretches of time. And the best part: While they might be significantly bigger than your average-sized paperback, they’re just as entertaining and engrossing as their shorter counterparts. And whether you prefer domestic dramas or fantasy adventures, there’s sure to be something that suits your taste.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Length: 848 pages After arriving in New Zealand during the gold rush of 1866, Edinburgh resident Walter Moody stumbles on a meeting between 12 local men puzzling over a series of unexplained events. He soon becomes entangled in a complicated mystery, which unfolds in a series of interlocking stories told from various perspectives. If you enjoy books with unusual, complex structures and a vivid cast of characters, The Luminaries could be a good pick for you.
The Time In Between by María Dueñas
Length: 624 pages Fashion meets high-stakes espionage in this captivating debut novel, set in Spain during the 1930s. After working her way from dressmaker’s apprentice to talented couturier, Sira Quiroga counts some powerful political influencers among her clientele. When World War II begins to threaten the country, Sira is approached to use her position to act as a spy, drawing her into a thrilling and dangerous journey.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Length: 546 pages
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Length: 496 pages When a teenage girl in the 1930s falls pregnant after an affair with a wealthy married man, she hastily accepts an offer of marriage from a traveling Korean missionary. Once settled in Japan, the couple continues to struggle, enduring fierce discrimination as they work to raise their two sons. Their lives are made all the more complicated when their eldest’s biological father resurfaces.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Length: 912 pages
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Length: 944 pages Set in Tokyo in 1984, this engaging literary fantasy follows a woman who notices a series of troubling discrepancies in the world around her. She soon begins to suspect she has entered a parallel universe, which she dubs “1Q84.” Over the next year, her path converges with that of an aspiring writer wrapped up in a strange ghostwriting project. Part love, part dystopian fantasy, this sprawling imaginative tale will have you contemplating the world around you long after finish it.
