To Green Angel Tower
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Is this the longest fantasy book?
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Michael
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Mar 16, 2013 08:25PM

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There's also


Also, TGAT was book three of the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, which might also affect its status as a stand-alone book in some eyes.

2 parts of the same novel,and then it was published in its full form.
Robert wrote: "Technically, you could say the same about To Green Angel Tower. When it was released as a paperback, it was divided into two seperate paperbacks (parts 1 and 2). I think it might have been one of t..."
I don't think he's looking for a stand-alone; otherwise yes, that would definitely affect it. However, it's unfortunate split for paperback convenience does not affect is since that was simply a matter of practicality and it is one single novel and was written, released and read as such.
As for addressing the original post, no I cannot think of a longer one. In fact, To Green Angel Tower is one of the longest single works ever written in English. I've actually done a lot of research on this stuff because I find it really interesting.
The official list uses a system based off of these following factors: A single novel published by an official publisher, longer than 500,000 words and they have to be singular novels, not series or story cycles. They have to be novels, so epic poetry and any non-novel nonfiction would not count, nor would story compilations or graphic novels (though a 500,000-word graphic novel would be immensly impressive and I'm sure Spider-Man's Clone Saga has got to be the equivalent of a 500,000-word novel lol.)
Many of these long novels had to be split for publishing reasons and are still singular works because all of these factors apply to them. Some of my favorite novels, which happen to be classics, are on this list including Atlas Shrugged, Les Miserebles, War & Peace and Infinite Jest. Other classics such as Remembrance Rock and I believe all four of the major Chinese Classics make it onto the list. I'm certain at least three of them do. And I think the Tale of Genji makes it on there as well.
I don't think he's looking for a stand-alone; otherwise yes, that would definitely affect it. However, it's unfortunate split for paperback convenience does not affect is since that was simply a matter of practicality and it is one single novel and was written, released and read as such.
As for addressing the original post, no I cannot think of a longer one. In fact, To Green Angel Tower is one of the longest single works ever written in English. I've actually done a lot of research on this stuff because I find it really interesting.
The official list uses a system based off of these following factors: A single novel published by an official publisher, longer than 500,000 words and they have to be singular novels, not series or story cycles. They have to be novels, so epic poetry and any non-novel nonfiction would not count, nor would story compilations or graphic novels (though a 500,000-word graphic novel would be immensly impressive and I'm sure Spider-Man's Clone Saga has got to be the equivalent of a 500,000-word novel lol.)
Many of these long novels had to be split for publishing reasons and are still singular works because all of these factors apply to them. Some of my favorite novels, which happen to be classics, are on this list including Atlas Shrugged, Les Miserebles, War & Peace and Infinite Jest. Other classics such as Remembrance Rock and I believe all four of the major Chinese Classics make it onto the list. I'm certain at least three of them do. And I think the Tale of Genji makes it on there as well.


Ouch. I don’t think I can agree with you, having read Caliban's Hour and Child of an Ancient City by the same author. However, I will admit as a writer myself that sometimes you read some of those old “toilet paper” novels (Robinson Crusoe comes to mind) and think “I want to write like that”. You know, just droning on and on, page after page, as though you still live in the era where people judge a book not by the picture on its cover but by how many trips to the outhouse lay between. (Sorry, kids, it’s late and I’ve had a mocha.) I suppose, after his success with Tailchaser’s Song, he was probably given license to do just that. Or maybe he just had to tie up all the loose ends from the first two books (the first book being almost entirely devoted to Simon’s childhood, if memory serves me) and couldn’t do it any quicker.

Oh, he could certainly have done it more succinctly. The first two books in that trilogy suffered from the same wordiness. Contrast that style of writing with Will R Bird's Here Stays Good Yorkshire and you'll see what I mean.

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