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How Long Does It Take To Read The Longest Stories Ever Written?
2026-04-10 19:17:11
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Xavier
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Strange short stories
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Office Worker
If you’re curious about mega-long stories, think of it like climbing a mountain. 'War and Peace' took me a solid month of evenings, but fan-translated web novels like 'The Legendary Mechanic' on platforms like Webnovel? That’s another beast—some run for thousands of chapters. I followed one for over a year, reading during subway rides. The trick is to treat it like a TV series: enjoy arcs in chunks rather than obsessing over finishing. Serialized formats make the journey feel less daunting, though you might forget side characters’ names by chapter 300!
2026-04-14 06:51:50
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Yolanda
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Into the Mind of Fictional Characters
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Tackling the longest stories ever written feels like embarking on a marathon rather than a sprint. Take something like Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time'—it spans over 1.2 million words across seven volumes. I tried reading it over a summer, but it took me nearly three months of dedicated daily reading, sometimes just 20 pages a night. The dense prose and philosophical tangents demand slow digestion.
Then there's 'The Wheel of Time' series by Robert Jordan, which clocks in at around 4.4 million words. A friend of mine binge-read it during lockdown, averaging a book every two weeks, but she admitted it was exhausting. These epics aren’t just about time; they test your stamina and emotional investment. I still feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I spot my dog-eared copy of 'Swann’s Way' on the shelf.
Then there's 'The Wheel of Time' series by Robert Jordan, which clocks in at around 4.4 million words. A friend of mine binge-read it during lockdown, averaging a book every two weeks, but she admitted it was exhausting. These epics aren’t just about time; they test your stamina and emotional investment. I still feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I spot my dog-eared copy of 'Swann’s Way' on the shelf.
2026-04-14 11:50:38
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Nora
Favorite read:
Stories at the Crossroad. (completed)
Longtime Reader
Photographer
Ever stumbled into a story so long it becomes a lifestyle? My obsession with 'One Piece' taught me that. With 1,100+ manga chapters and counting, I’ve spent years theorizing with online communities between releases. Compare that to Brandon Sanderson’s 'Stormlight Archive'—each 400,000-word tome takes me about two weeks if I’m glued to my Kindle. The difference? Medium matters. Visual narratives like manga or graphic novels (e.g., 'Berserk’s' 40-year run) blend faster reading with art appreciation, while dense fantasy lore requires note-taking. I keep a reading journal now for these behemoths; otherwise, I’d lose track of all the Aes Sedai in 'The Wheel of Time'.
2026-04-14 22:51:22
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Peyton
Favorite read:
Echoes of Forever: Love Stories Across Time
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Mechanic
Lengthy stories are like friendships—you grow with them. My grandma spent a decade reading 'Outlander' books as they released, savoring each new installment. Meanwhile, I blitzed through 'The Count of Monte Cristo' in two weeks during college, skipping lectures. It’s less about the clock and more about your rhythm. Some prefer audiobooks for doorstoppers; 'Shogun' took me 50 hours via narration, but the performances added depth. No rush, though—these tales stick with you longer when you let them breathe.
2026-04-16 19:28:35
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Read NowRelated Questions
What are the longest stories ever written in literature?
4 Answers2026-04-10 19:51:38
Ever fallen down a rabbit hole of absurdly long books? I once tried tackling Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time,' which clocks in at around 1.2 million words across seven volumes. What starts as a meditation on memory becomes this sprawling, poetic universe where a single description of a madeleine cookie unfolds into pages of introspection.
Then there's 'Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus,' a 17th-century French romance novel that makes 'War and Peace' look like a pamphlet. At roughly 2 million words, it's basically the literary equivalent of binge-watching 10 seasons of a soap opera—complete with convoluted plots and exaggerated emotions. These works aren't just long; they're immersive experiences that demand you surrender to their rhythm.
How many pages are in the longest stories ever written?
4 Answers2026-04-10 18:52:13
I recently stumbled down this rabbit hole while researching epic literature, and wow—some works are monstrous in length. The undisputed king is 'Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus,' a 17th-century French romance novel that spans roughly 13,000 pages across 10 volumes. Imagine hauling that around! Modern contenders include 'À la recherche du temps perdu' by Marcel Proust, clocking in at around 4,300 pages. What fascinates me is how these tomes reflect cultural shifts—older works like 'Cyrus' were serialized for aristocratic leisure, while Proust’s stream-of-consciousness style demanded patience. Both feel like lifetime commitments, but in totally different ways.
Then there’s fan culture’s contribution: the online 'Super Smash Bros.' fanfic 'The Subspace Emissary’s Conquest' reportedly hits 4 million words (about 8,000 pages if printed). It’s wild how digital platforms let stories balloon beyond physical limits. Makes me wonder if future 'longest works' will even have page counts—maybe we’ll measure in terabytes instead!
Which authors wrote the longest stories ever written?
4 Answers2026-04-10 17:10:22
The world of epic storytelling has some truly mind-boggling giants. Marcel Proust’s 'In Search of Lost Time' clocks in at around 1.2 million words, and it’s not just long—it’s dense, weaving memory and philosophy into every sentence. Then there’s the 'Wheel of Time' series by Robert Jordan (and later Brandon Sanderson), spanning 14 books and over 4 million words. I once tried binge-reading it during a summer break and barely made it halfway before classes started!
Another contender is the 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' by Steven Erikson, which feels like climbing a literary mountain with its intricate worldbuilding. And let’s not forget fanfiction—some 'Supernatural' or 'Harry Potter' works on Archive of Our Own stretch into millions of words, proving fandom dedication knows no bounds. Honestly, tackling these feels like a badge of honor for readers.
Are the longest stories ever written worth reading?
4 Answers2026-04-10 02:05:00
The idea of tackling the longest stories ever written feels like staring at a mountain—daunting but thrilling. I recently finished 'In Search of Lost Time' by Marcel Proust, and while the seven volumes seemed intimidating, the payoff was incredible. The way Proust digs into memory, time, and human connection is unlike anything else. It’s not just about length; it’s about the depth of the journey. Some sections drag, sure, but the moments of brilliance make it feel like uncovering hidden treasures.
That said, not every lengthy story justifies its word count. Some epic fantasy series, for instance, get bogged down in excessive world-building or meandering subplots. But when a long story is tightly crafted, like 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' the sheer scope becomes part of the magic. It’s about patience—like tending to a garden that blooms slowly but spectacularly.
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