Massive Attack or The Joys of Long and Involved Books that Comprise Long and Involved Series

Book Review Tuesday strikes again. Today’s topic – very very long books and the spectacular joys they offer. I LOVE long and involved books with complex storylines, in-depth characterizations, and multiple, overlapping plots that intertwine. The longer the better, I say. I read to get lost – in a story, in someone else’s life, in an idea. And the longer a story is, the longer I can get lost in it – and the easier it is to get there.

I know a lot of people do not like long books, especially in this sound-bit era we live in. I can appreciate that a long book (let alone a series of them) is a commitment and that, given schedules and competing demands on time, it can be difficult to make such a commitment or undesirable to start something when you don’t know when – or even if – you will finish it. I get that a lot of people are commitment-phobic (teehee) and even if they had the time would be reluctant to tie themselves to any one topic/character/storyline for a duration. I understand short attention spans and that a lot of people do not want to fully engage in someone else’s life for 750 pages (let alone thousands).
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I also get that it can be annoying to read a series and have to wait for the latest installment. I hate the waiting myself, believe you me. In a long and involved book, there are so many more opportunities for cliffhangers and mysterious twists that the reader is left wondering about until the next book is published – and when the next book is another massive one, the waiting can be especially painful because these books tend to take even longer to write and publish. BELIEVE ME I understand that last point, as it is taking me forever to write even a complete short story/novella let alone a thousand-page paperweight.

I have the ability to understand and appreciate all of these things. But to me, they will always be cop-outs because to me the joy of fully engaging in a complex and elaborately constructed world for book after book, page after page, is so massive that I cannot fathom how anyone could be willing to pass it by.

So I invite you to join me on some truly extraordinary journeys – through time (both literally and figuratively), space, and some pretty dark experiences. They say good things come to those who wait – I think it is equally true for those who persevere. And these are all series worth seeing through to their (occasionally bitter) end.

• Through a Glass Darkly: A Novel (and its sequel, Now Face to Face: A Novel, and prequel, Dark Angels: A Novel) by Karleen Koen – I love, love, love, love, love historical fiction. Now that I’ve established that position, pretend I repeated that sentence at the beginning of each of the book reviews on here today, because each is an historical fiction series. Koen’s books take you on a grand tour through English and French high society in the 1700s. Her evocative writing style and incredible descriptions of time and place will transport you into a world of intrigue, paranoia, and love (and fortunes) lost and gained. The love story underpinning the first two books alternates between touching and heart-breaking and is as fine a cautionary tale about the double-edged nature of getting what one wants as any I have had the pleasure of reading. The prequel takes you deeper into the backstory of one of the most endearing and curmudgeonly characters in the two original novels. And fortunately for you, dear readers, the books are all readily available now (when I was first introduced to the series, through the prequel, I had to painstakingly track down used copies of the sequel – and pay an arm and a leg for it. Mind you, it was completely worth it. But still…)
• Speaks the Nightbird (and its sequels, The Queen of Bedlam and Mister Slaughter) by Robert McCammon – The time: the turn of the 18th century; the topic: alleged witchcraft in the English Colonies of the Carolinas; the tension: the assistant to the magistrate investigating the allegations is convinced of the innocence of the alleged witch (much to the chagrin and consternation of his boss). Intrigued yet? No? Well, what if I tell you that there is also plenty of paranoia, back-stabbing, mysterious episodes of paranormal-ish activity, capital punishment, sex and sexual tension, and enough intrigue to satisfy even the most die-hard conspiracy theorist. The writing is crisp, the historical detail is well-researched and thorough yet surprisingly accessible, and the characters are well-developed and eminently empathetic (except for the villains, who are perfectly, deviously villainous). Many a scene is so well-presented that you will literally hear the wind whistling through the trees behind you and feel the hairs on the back of your neck rise as yet another suspicious “accident” befalls the community of Fount Royal. Once you start these books you will not want to put them down – unless, of course, you happen to be home alone at night. And even then, while you might get the heebie-jeebies and want to put the book down, you are far more likely (if you are anything like me) to simply turn on all the lights and hunker in for the long, creepy ride until dawn.
• The Three Musketeers (and its sequels, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Vallière, and The Man in the Iron Mask – the last three titles are sometimes presented in one volume known as The Vicomte de Bragelonne; or, Ten years later.) by Alexander Dumas – Most people are familiar with the story of The Three Musketeers – “all for one, one for all” is a pretty common catchphrase/concept and actually does come from the book – and The Man in the Iron Mask; both have been made into numerous movies over the years. What most people are not aware of is that there are three other novels in the series, falling between them. And it is extraordinarily good fortune for readers that there are, as Dumas’ writing is exceptionally vivid, intense, dramatic (without being over-the-top) and action-packed. Throw out almost everything you think you know about these stories if your only experience with them is via the movies – even the better versions cannot hold a candle to the books. They are full of intrigue, suspense, and treachery; of politics, passion, and incomparable prose – they will take you on a high-speed ride through French history that I guarantee will entertain as well as educate.
• The Alienist (and its sequel, The Angel of Darkness) by Caleb Carr – The Caleb Carr novels featuring Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, the eponymous alienist (i.e., a psychologist, in the parlance of turn-of-the-century – that would be the just-about 20th century – New York City), are thrillers of the most fantastic kind. The Alienest is the story of the first serial killer investigation in the City – or, more precisely, the first time anyone has linked multiple murders in such a way as to invoke the concept of a serial killer. Dr. Kreizler’s methods – the application of psychological and modern police procedural techniques – are criticized by most, but receive support from New York City police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. I love when authors work actual historical figures into historical fiction. Well, when they do it well, that is. When they do not, well, “Eek,” she said. Carr’s Teddy Roosevelt is a larger-than-life character and steals many of the scenes he appears in – which is rather how he has been described in his biographies, most notably Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris, which is a fascinating read in its own right. In both books, Carr manages to strike a perfect balance between drama and suspense, action and attention to detail, and humanity and inhumanity. There have been rumors of a third Dr. Kreizler novel, but nothing has materialized to date, which is a crying shame. I keep my fingers crossed though, because these are characters that beg to be allowed to breathe again…
• Outlander (and its sequels, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and An Echo in the Bone: A Novel) by Diana Gabaldon – I have written about this series before (see “Uneven Stevens”), so won’t rehash it all here. It should tell you something that, despite my stated feelings about the daughter, Brianna, and the shift in locale that this series still makes it onto my top-long-books-series. So really, if you haven’t looked into Gabaldon’s books yet, get on the ball, will you please? I mean, how many times do I have to recommend the same thing before you people listen to me?! (teehee)

So there you have it – five of my favorite massive series, each weighing in at four-digit page counts (sometimes each book, but always/at least each series). They are not for the faint of heart (seriously – books this long are heavy!) but I assure you they are well worth the weight… 😉