Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Nominations for the 4th Quarter (October - December, 2025) Long Read

4th Quarter 2025 Group Long Read nominations are now open! Please review the requirements below for book eligibility.

1. Eligible books must be a minimum of 600 pages in length. Nominations need to be a book, not a series of books nor an omnibus of books.

Any books read within the past three (3) years are not eligible. In the interest of variety, please wait a month to renominate a book that has been in any poll.

2. Long Read Nominations must meet the same requirements as books being nominated for our New School and Old School monthly reads. Nominated books must be published during or before 2005.

3. When making a nomination, please use "add book/author" link to help moderators and others view the book selected.

4. Only seven books, by seven different authors, will move forward to each poll. This will be determined by the number of seconds a book receives. The seven books with the most seconds move to the poll.

5. One nomination and one second per member will be allowed. A nomination can be changed only until it has been seconded. Once seconded, in fairness to the member making the second, the nomination will stand.

5a. A second can be withdrawn and placed on another choice. This change must in some way be noted in a post such as, "I am withdrawing my second for book A and placing it on book B." It will be easier for moderators to track changes.

6. Only one book per author; in the event of more than one book by the same author is nominated, only the first one to receive a second will be eligible. The nominator of the ruled ineligible book will be able to nominate a replacement or second another already in nomination.

6a. Same author-multiple categories. The same author may be nominated in multiple categories in a single month as long as the nominations are for different books. In the case of identical nominations, precedence will go to the first one to receive a second.

7. Availability: Members nominating for a monthly Group Read will need to check that a copy of the text is reasonably available for members, and is available in English. Moderators may disallow a nomination if a copy is not readily available.

Nominations will remain open until the 14th of the month. Polls will open on the 16th and run until the end of the month.

I nominate The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages

I nominate The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon.
First published in 2000.

678 pages

I nominate Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages. Often referred to as the "Argentine Ulysses".

I nominate A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul 1961 623 pp

I nominate World's End, Vol. 1 by Upton Sinclair. Published in 1940. 740 pages. This is the first book in the Lanny Budd series. The third book, Dragon's Teeth, won a Pulitzer.

Here is a link to the only edition that has a description of the story:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I second A House for Mr Biswas

I second The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier & Klay. It’s been waiting on my TBR list, and my Pulitzer list!

Ha! Sorry for my misspelling, Kavalier snd Clay!

I’ll 2nd World’s End by Upton Sinclair

Marilyn wrote: "I nominate World's End, Vol. 1 by Upton Sinclair. Published in 1940. 740 pages. This is the first book in the Lanny Budd series. The third book, Dragon's Teeth, won a..."

Fascinating.
Are there any reasonably priced versions?

I second A House for Mr. Biswas

Klowey wrote: "..Are there any reasonably priced versions?..."

It is easier to find a copy of this book in an omnibus like this:
The Lanny Budd Novels Volume One: World's End, Between Two Worlds, and Dragon's Teeth

Or as an ebook.

I would like to nominate Alaska by James A. Michener. 868 pages, published 1988.

I nominate Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 664 pp, 1898 (published in eight part between 1898 and 1904. It is one novel, not an omnibus.)

A true neglected classic, this sweeping 1904 novel is a Modernist masterpiece and arguably "the great Danish novel"-- but is only newly available in English.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917. This is his main work.

Goodreads 4.40 avg rating

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I nominate Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 664 pp, 1898

A true neglected classic, this sweeping 1904 novel is a Modernist masterpiece and arguably "the great Danis..."

I second

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I nominate Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 664 pp, 1898."

I second.

I believe this was published over a number of years (1898-1904) as eight novels – or episodes, if you like – eventually forming a larger work. If not an omnibus, like Proust's opus magnum, at least the date should probably be corrected.

I second Alaska by Michener.

Ascanio wrote: "J_BlueFlower wrote: "I nominate Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 664 pp, 1898."

I second.

I believe this was published over a number of years (1898-1904) as eight..."

I have added info about the date. I have never seen it mentioned anywhere as anything else than one novel.

I second the Historian by Kostova

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I have never seen it mentioned anywhere as anything else than one novel."

The English Wiki: «...published in eight volumes between 1898 and 1904».

The Danish Wikipedia has the following:
1898: Lykke-Per. Hans Ungdom. Roman;
1898: Lykke-Per finder Skatten. Roman;
1899: Lykke-Per. Hans Kærlighed. Roman;
1899: Lykke-Per i det Fremmede. Roman;
1901: Lykke-Per. Hans store Værk. Roman;
1902: Lykke-Per og hans Kæreste. Roman;
1903: Lykke-Per. Hans Rejse til Amerika. Roman;
1904: Lykke-Per. Hans sidste Kamp. Roman;
1905: Lykke Per. 2. udgave I-III.

I second The Historian.

Current nominations

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages
Austin, Hillary, Jen

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2000, 678 pages
Kimberly, EvenB

Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages
Ascanio

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, 1961, 623 pages
Sam, Piyangie, Austin

World's End by Upton Sinclair, 1940, 740 pages
Marilyn, Shawn

Alaska by James A. Michener, 1988, 868 pages
Franky, Luffy Sempai

Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 1898, 664 pages
J_BlueFlower, Julie, Ascanio

Ascanio wrote: "I nominate Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages. Often referred to as the "Argentine Ulysses"."

I second Adam Buenosayres

I know it's late. I nominate Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I second Lucky Per.

Current nominations

Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 1898, 664 pages
J_BlueFlower, Julie, Ascanio, Margaret

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages
Austin, Hillary, Jen

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, 1961, 623 pages
Sam, Piyangie, Austin

Alaska by James A. Michener, 1988, 868 pages
Franky, Luffy Sempai

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2000, 678 pages
Kimberly, EvenB

Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages
Ascanio, Paula

World's End by Upton Sinclair, 1940, 740 pages
Marilyn, Shawn

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004, 1006 pages
Cynda

Cynda wrote: "I know it's late. I nominate Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke"

I'll second this one!

I second The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I started it earlier this year and was really fascinated by it, but life got in the way and I had to set it aside. I'd love to read it with the group!

I second Alaska.

Thanks Franky!

I will second Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004, 1006 pages

Current nominations

Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 1898, 664 pages
J_BlueFlower, Julie, Ascanio, Margaret

Alaska by James A. Michener, 1988, 868 pages
Franky, Luffy Sempai, Terry

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages
Austin, Hillary, Jen

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, 1961, 623 pages
Sam, Piyangie, Austin

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2000, 678 pages
Kimberly, EvenB, Teri-K

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004, 1006 pages
Cynda, Franky, Katy

Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages
Ascanio, Paula

World's End by Upton Sinclair, 1940, 740 pages
Marilyn, Shawn

I'll second World's End

Austin wrote: "I nominate The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages

"

Second!

Second — The Historian

Second World's End

Current nominations

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages
Austin, Hillary, Jen, Jeri, Heather L

Alaska by James A. Michener, 1988, 868 pages
Franky, Luffy Sempai, Terry

Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 1898, 664 pages
J_BlueFlower, Julie, Ascanio, Margaret

World's End by Upton Sinclair, 1940, 740 pages
Marilyn, Shawn, Wobbley, Sara

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, 1961, 623 pages
Sam, Piyangie, Austin

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2000, 678 pages
Kimberly, EvenB, Teri-K

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004, 1006 pages
Cynda, Franky, Katy

Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marechal, 1948, 739 pages
Ascanio, Paula

These books will advance to the poll

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 2005, 704 pages

Alaska by James A. Michener, 1988, 868 pages

Lucky Per by Henrik Pontoppidan, 1898, 664 pages

World's End by Upton Sinclair, 1940, 740 pages

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, 1961, 623 pages

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2000, 678 pages

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 2004, 1006 pages