# Recommend me a page-turner of an epic book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175 "2003-09-22T20:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/1 "2003-09-22T20:42:39Z")
I want something big and sweeping that I won’t be able to put down. Something that will keep me up too late at night because I just can’t wait to find out what happens next. For me, the ultimate of these is _Lonesome Dove_. Sigh. I really loved that book. I also got into _Shogun_. Both of these transport you to another place and time, and are fascinating. But there are many books that win critica praise that I find **boring**. I got through _Cold Mountain_ but found myself skipping whole paragraphs of wordy overblown description. I want something that may not be art, but is a real page-turner! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/2 "2003-09-22T20:46:12Z")
Have you ever read **Forever Amber**? [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556524048/qid=1064264044/sr=8-1/ref=sr\_8\_1/103-8097483-0403831?v=glance&s=books&n=507846](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556524048/qid=1064264044/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-8097483-0403831?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/3 "2003-09-22T20:54:14Z")
Nope, sever heard of it. I read a little on the link you gave me, tell me more! ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/4 "2003-09-22T20:55:53Z")
Make that, “never heard of it.” Yeesh! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/5 "2003-09-22T21:02:47Z")
**The Mists of Avalon** , by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It’s a retelling of the Arthurian legend, with a slightly different slant on who the “good guys” are. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/6 "2003-09-22T21:41:46Z")
I’d put _Trinity_ by Leon Uris in _Lonesome Dove_’s category. ---
**Author:** ![Prospector](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Prospector](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prospector)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/7 "2003-09-22T22:03:38Z")
“Atlas Shrugged” is the best fiction book I’ve ever read! “The Passionate Marriage” is the best non-fiction book I’ve ever let into my life. Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/8 "2003-09-22T22:13:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Prospector \* > \*\*“Atlas Shrugged” is the best fiction book I’ve ever read! > \*\* What was the other one? ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/9 "2003-09-22T22:19:00Z")
Oh, and to contribute something to the thread– _Middlemarch_ is a big book that I really loved, and I highly recommend it. I’ve never read _Shogun_, but a friend of mine says C.J. Cherryh’s _Foreigner_ books remind her of it, and she puts them in similar categories in her mind. Me, I love _Foreigner_ but I’m not certain it’s quite what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/10 "2003-09-22T22:28:25Z")
Shogun is great (and the only book mentioned on this thread I’ve read). Musashi is a great book. It’s based on a more or less true story about a swordsman in 16th century Japan and is very “epic”. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/11 "2003-09-22T22:33:04Z")
_A Game of Thrones_ and its sequels by George R. R. Martin. Oh my GOD you can’t put them down and you can join the rest of us who beat our heads against the wall daily waiting for book 4 (due out next summer.) Epic… good lord yes. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/12 "2003-09-22T22:36:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bren\_Cameron \* > \*\*What was the other one? \*\* _snerk_ Oh that was good. And pretty much sums up my opinion as well ;D ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/13 "2003-09-22T22:40:51Z")
It’s not one book but a series. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. So good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/14 "2003-09-22T23:17:11Z")
From the Beating A Dead Horse Department: While it’s not an epic, per se, I will, once again, recommend A Prayer For Owen Meany. It is definitely a page turner. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/15 "2003-09-22T23:28:34Z")
I’d recommend [_A Fine Balance_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/140003065X/qid=1064273501/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-7313233-1354500) by Rohinton Mistry. It’s not exactly epic in the truest sense of the word, but it’s pretty long and it’s a great story. The description at Amazon says it covers the period of 1975-76, but there’s a lot of backstory involved, and an epilogue. Fascinating story about India. Or maybe [_Pillars of the Earth_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451166892/102-7313233-1354500?v=glance) by Ken Follett. That one was great. ---
**Author:** ![rmbnxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@rmbnxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmbnxs)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/16 "2003-09-23T00:53:24Z")
You might want to try the real thing: Homer: _The Iliad_ _The Odyssey_ Virgil: _The Aeneid_ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/17 "2003-09-23T00:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > **Munch** I’d put Trinity by Leon Uris in Lonesome Dove’s category. That book affected me profoundly. It is the best novel I’ve ever read. I will be honest that it took 150-200 pages before it began to work its magic. But not it will forever haunt me. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/18 "2003-09-23T00:59:55Z")
How about _The Lord of the Rings_. ---
**Author:** ![lucky\_henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc8723/32.png) [@lucky\_henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucky_henry)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/19 "2003-09-23T01:00:41Z")
Most anything by James Michener. especialy “Centennial” ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175/20 "2003-09-23T01:10:17Z")
Keep 'em coming guys! I’ve looked them all up on Amazon and already have 5 or 6 on my ‘wish list.’ I might just go ahead and put them all in my shopping cart and get the whole thing delivered. If my kids end up neglected because I’m spending all my time reading, I’ll have YOU to blame! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-page-turner-of-an-epic-book/203175.md?page=2)