The Epic Quest: Tackling the World’s Longest Novel in One Year

Lengthy books may occasionally feel burdensome to tackle. Those exceeding 500 pages could appear quite challenging; however, an engrossing narrative and captivating prose can make all the difference. captivating It might keep you engaged. Think about it. Stephen King's For instance, consider IT. The first edition spans an impressive 1,138 pages—a veritable behemoth of a book—but it’s crafted with such skill that reading through it feels effortless rather than burdensome.

However, the world's longest book Even smaller than that comparison, and you'll be amazed by the vast array of characters it includes. Back in 1912, Marcel Proust, a French writer, authored the longest novel globally known as 'In Search of Lost Time' or "A la recherche du temps perdu" in its original form.

This monumental work comprises approximately 9,609,000 characters when every letter and space is counted individually. For comparison, most standard books range from 350,000 to 400,000 characters. The estimation assumes a word count of around 70,000 to 80,000 words, considering an average length of five characters for each word.

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This suggests that Proust's major work was about 24 times longer than the average book, which secured his spot in the Guinness World Records.

In 1912, Proust revealed the inaugural volume of his extensive 13-part magnum opus, which hit shelves in 1913.

The second part of his work received international praise when published, launching him into worldwide recognition.

He is currently considered one of the most impactful writers of the 20th century.

If you're wondering how much time it takes to get through such a lengthy book, here’s the breakdown: for an individual who reads at a pace of 300 words per minute, they would require approximately 3 days, 3 hours, and 46 minutes of continuous reading to complete it.

However, let’s face it — nobody manages to complete it without taking breaks. Many admitted it took them over a year to finish the task.

Exploring the depths of Reddit, someone shared their reading adventure: "I've wanted to read Proust for almost two decades, and last year I finally resolved to take it on."

My version spans approximately 3,700 pages with endnotes included. I completed reading it in slightly more than a year, averaging about 10 pages each day. The book contained numerous exquisite passages and remarkable observations… However, there were stretches of several hundred pages that felt unbearably tedious (particularly volumes 4 through 6).

This is a uniquely remarkable book. It made an impact on me to some degree, and there was certainly a sense of satisfaction upon completing it from my reading list.

However, when I take a step back and reflect deeply, I must admit that it wasn’t worthwhile. The sheer volume of 3,700 pages filled with extensive narrative and meandering internal dialogue is immense.

What do those who have completed it think? Am I alone in not suggesting this to others?

As a response, a fan commented: "I cherish In Search of Lost Time as I would a friend, and it always stays close to my thoughts."

Another person chimed in saying, “I really enjoyed reading it. Even though it took quite some time, I savored each moment. I went through it in French, however, and I’m aware that translations may occasionally render books less engaging.”