# Reccomend me long literary action/thriller novels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605 "2014-06-12T04:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartesian\_Rationalist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Cartesian\_Rationalist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartesian_Rationalist)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/1 "2014-06-12T04:58:42Z")
I’m currently on page 957 of Neal Stephenson’s “Reamde”, and I must say that on the whole it has been a very good book. So, what I would like to know is, what other long 600, 700+ literary Action/Thriller novels. I would like to be long and a real page turner! Thanks for any help! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/2 "2014-06-12T13:25:50Z")
Gary Jennings’s _Aztec_ is a big, sprawling historical novel set against the last days of the Aztec empire, just before and during the Spanish _conquistadores_’ arrival. Lots of sex, human sacrifice, adventure, diplomacy, sex, court intrigue, war, sex, family drama, exploration and - oh, yeah - sex. Susanna Clarke’s _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_ is a big, dense, deeply engaging novel about the return of magic to Regency England. Someone likened it to a Harry Potter book written by Jane Austen, which isn’t far off the mark. Not as action- or -sex-packed as _Aztec_, but still well worth a read. Two very different but very good books. ---
**Author:** ![Cartesian\_Rationalist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Cartesian\_Rationalist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartesian_Rationalist)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/3 "2014-06-12T15:21:09Z")
Thanks, just the type of thing I had in mind, much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/4 "2014-06-12T19:17:27Z")
The Count of Monte Cristo? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/5 "2014-06-12T20:55:38Z")
I suppose you’ve considered Tom Clancy novels and the sprawling, absurd techno-thrillers of Clive Cussler (and his co-author du jour) or of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs. My favorites were Frederick Forsythe. A little shorter than you request, but infinitely better researched and likely. His _Day of the Jackal_ and _The Odessa File_ are classics. And I think _The Devil’s Alternative_ is unjustly neglected. It’s dated now, but still a good read, and at 480 pages almost fits your criteria. Look at his more recent books, too, although I think his earlier books are his best. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/6 "2014-06-12T20:58:56Z")
Sidney Sheldon’s _[Master of the Game](http://www.amazon.com/Master-Game-Sidney-Sheldon-ebook/dp/B003M69P9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402606705&sr=8-1&keywords=master+of+the+game)_. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/7 "2014-06-12T21:07:51Z")
I’ll mention Stephenson’s \*Cryptonomicon \*and the books of his Baroque Cycle, just in case you haven’t read them yet. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/8 "2014-06-12T21:54:35Z")
The original Bourne books are worth reading, too. If you’re only familiar with the films, they’ll seem dated (I love the scene in, I think, the first one, where attempting to place a trans-Atlantic phone call becomes a daring Oceans Eleven-type plot), but I think they hold up. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/9 "2014-06-12T22:13:03Z")
Clive Cussler’s _Raise the Titanic!_ and _Vixen 03_ aren’t especially long, but are great modern adventure yarns with a nautical spin. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/10 "2014-06-12T23:06:42Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Gary Jennings’s _Aztec_ is a big, sprawling historical novel set against the last days of the Aztec empire, just before and during the Spanish _conquistadores_’ arrival. Lots of sex, human sacrifice, adventure, diplomacy, sex, court intrigue, war, sex, family drama, exploration and - oh, yeah - sex. > > Susanna Clarke’s _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_ is a big, dense, deeply engaging novel about the return of magic to Regency England. Someone likened it to a Harry Potter book written by Jane Austen, which isn’t far off the mark. Not as action- or -sex-packed as _Aztec_, but still well worth a read. > > Two very different but very good books. Another recommendation for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell from me. A wonderful book. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/11 "2014-06-12T23:10:58Z")
You said “literary” and “action” well … how much more literary can you get than ["The Stress of Her Regard"](http://www.amazon.com/The-Stress-Her-Regard-Powers/dp/1892391791)by Tim Powers? Lord Byron and Shelley vs. vampires, but vampires that are like NOTHING you have seen in other stories on the topic, and Powers does his usual superlative job of researching the characters and the times and bringing them to life. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/12 "2014-06-12T23:17:11Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Gary Jennings’s _Aztec_ is a big, sprawling historical novel set against the last days of the Aztec empire, just before and during the Spanish _conquistadores_’ arrival. Lots of sex, human sacrifice, adventure, diplomacy, sex, court intrigue, war, sex, family drama, exploration and - oh, yeah - sex. And all of Jennings’ historical novels are similar – even _Spangle,_ which is about a **circus!** (A circus touring 19th-Century Europe, so there’s lots to work with.) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/13 "2014-06-13T02:57:10Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > You said “literary” and “action” well … how much more literary can you get than ["The Stress of Her Regard"](http://www.amazon.com/The-Stress-Her-Regard-Powers/dp/1892391791)by Tim Powers? The Count of Monte Cristo, that’s how much more literary you can get. I mean, I like Tim Powers and all, but The Count of Monte Motherfucking Cristo is IMO the best adventure novel ever written. Anyone with any interest in this sort of thing needs to track it down, set aside a comfortable several days, and read it. It’s astonishingly good–not only is the plotting brilliant and the characters fascinating, but there’s also a wonderful thread of vengeance and redemption running through it that’s lost in lesser works. Depending on your tolerance for nineteenth century prose, though, it might not be a page-turner for you. There are long sections of the book in which things move slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/14 "2014-06-13T05:48:10Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Clive Cussler’s _Raise the Titanic!_ and _Vixen 03_ aren’t especially long, but are great modern adventure yarns with a nautical spin. I’m sorry, have to disagree. If the OP mentions the word ‘literary’, Cussler is automatically disqualified. His plots move, but his writing is truly awful. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/15 "2014-06-13T15:13:53Z")
Yeah, fair point. By the way, did you know that your every move is being televised? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/16 "2014-06-13T15:18:32Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The Count of Monte Cristo, that’s how much more literary you can get. I mean, I like Tim Powers and all, but The Count of Monte Motherfucking Cristo is IMO the best adventure novel ever written. The Count of Monte Cristo might be Original Gangsta adventure fiction, so much so that it’s now considered literature by some, but it doesn’t have Lord Frickin’ Byron and Percy Frickin’ Bysshe Shelly as its protagonists, now, does it? All it’s got is some no-account English count! ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/17 "2014-06-13T15:33:27Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yeah, fair point. By the way, did you know that your every move is being televised? What? You must have me confused with someone else who looks vaguely similar. I’m just a small-town type who never goes anywhere. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/18 "2014-06-13T20:21:07Z")
I’ve never read any Ken Follett, so I don’t know whether any of his novels (a) fit the criteria the OP is looking for, and (b) are any good. I can, however, recommend his lecture on the history of the thriller, available for viewing at his website [here](http://ken-follett.com/suspense/), to anyone who has an interest in thriller novels. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/19 "2014-06-13T21:07:11Z")
Have you considered Clavell’s [Shogun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun_%28novel%29)? If you’re looking for long-ass SF, some of L. Ron Hubbard’s works might do. Not the most literary works in the world, but could be pretty fun if you want starships and blasters and more starships. E.g. [Battlefield Earth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_Earth_%28novel%29). It’s not quite so long, but you might like [King Solomon’s Mines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Solomon%27s_Mines). It’s one of the prototypical “Adventure Novels” and is frequently subject to homage. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605/20 "2014-06-13T23:16:22Z")
A longish literary action thriller novel might be John le Carre’s \* The Little Drummer Girl \* [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-long-literary-action-thriller-novels/690605.md?page=2)