Today the folks at Broke and Bookish are offering a freebie day! That means we get to pick a past Top Ten List we missed, or else make up our own topic. I didn’t see Top Ten Chunksters on the list, so I guess this one is of my making.
Feel free to steal. 
I love sinking into an excellent novel (especially a Victorian novel!) and staying with it for months. Here are a few I’m looking forward to either continuing or finishing in 2012:
Top Ten Chunksters I’m itching to read:
- Clarissa by Samuel Richardson – 1,533 pages – Allie and I will be reading this one in April together. I’m really nervous that I won’t be able to finish in 30 days. But what I’m not? Is worried that it’s the longest English novel in history. Because I love me a long English novel. And o made me really curious about this one.
- Middlemarch by George Eliot – 852 pages – Currently reading. I adore it and can’t wait to keep reading it.
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens - 874 pages – I love the opening. Therefore, I want to read this. Also, I just learned that Margaret Mitchell adored Dickens’ work. So that’s an extra point. (I probably won’t actually get to this one until 2013, but it’s my list, so I get to cheat.)
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin – 917 pages - I just started reading this one. Abraham Lincoln was an amazing president, and I can’t wait to know more about him.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 1,206 pages – I started this one in November of 2011 and still have half of it to finish. I like it a lot, so I’m looking forward to getting back to it.
- Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee - 893 pages – I know nothing about Virginia Woolf, except that I like her. I’m curious to find out what Hermione Lee could possibly have to say about her that would take up nearly 1,000 pages. I’m sure I’ll sink right into this one. Biography is my favorite genre.
- Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - 1,463 pages – Currently reading! And looking forward to sticking with it throughout 2012.
- The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot – 535 pages – Allie loves this one even more than Middlemarch and sent me a beautiful copy. I remember while I was just getting to know the classics, thinking that the write-up on this one sounded even better than Middlemarch. I am definitely, definitely excited to read this one this year — because Middlemarch is excellent.
- Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray - 731 pages - Destined to be a favorite novel!! I read about half in 2011 and set it down when college and finals started overwhelming me. I didn’t want to read it in that frame of mind. I want to ease back and enjoy it. I will – soon.
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins – 617 pages - I have NO IDEA what this is about. But I am irrationally excited about it. Victorian novel + Chunkster = Awesome.
That’s my 10! Have you got any chunksters on your TBR?
* page counts are based on my copy
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Sounds like you like classics. So do I. I absolutely adore them.
I’ve read and loved: Anna Karennia (you have to read this one).
I’m dying to read: Bleak House, Middlemarch (I love George Elliot), Les Mis, and Vanity Fair.
Great list. Here’s mine: http://danicapage.blogspot.com/2012/01/teaser-tuesday-14-and-top-ten-books-i.html
Yep, Anna Karenina is #5 on my list above. I’ve read half already and love it.
I like the list. So I’m reading Les Mis currently and I’m struggling. Any advice?
I guess it depends on where you are in the story? I’m still at the very early part, where the bishop is being introduced, so I can’t offer much advice yet. What I do when I’m struggling with a novel is to read about the author and time period, but that doesn’t work for everybody. You might check out this post on Victor Hugo.
You could also try watching a film/theatrical version of the story, if you don’t mind spoilers. That helps because you get to see where the author is headed.
I love the beginning so far, but I’ve heard most people don’t. If that’s where you are in the novel, I’ve heard it picks way up after Jean-Valjean arrives. (Book Two.)
Yeah, I was fine with the beginning but then it started to drag. Now, I’m after Fantine has been introduced. It is picking up.
I have see the musical and I did like it, it was just years ago and I don’t really remember what happened.
Wow … that’s quite the list! Being such a fan of classic literature, I’m sure you’ll do wonderful with it.
I stole your idea for top 10 for my post tomorrow … mine aren’t all classics, but they’re pretty big!
Great! I love big books (and I cannot lie!) Ha – in many genres, really. Especially historical fiction.
WOW. Clarissa is huge! I had no idea! And Middlemarch! WOW! And I had NO idea Les Miserables is that big! Good luck with this list! I admire you!
- Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl (and The Broke and the Bookish)
Thanks, Jana!
Fantastic idea for a TTT. I’ve been so busy I couldn’t come up with an idea on time. I love a chunkster too. I loved Bleak House. It doesn’t feel like it’s that big because it’s so good. I also loved Anna Karenina. My favourite though was The Woman In White. It’s a Victorian mystery but I won’t tell you any more than that.
Thanks, Karen! Feel free to use this idea, if you’d like.
Everything I know about The Woman in White is that it’s a Victorian mystery and that it’s, apparently, really, really good. I will probably read it in August, though October might be a better season for it!
I’m reading Bleak House later this year. I’ve read Middlemarch, Team of Rivals, and Anna Karenina and really enjoyed all of them. Good luck with your list!
Thanks!! Enjoy Bleak House!
I’ve thought about reading Clarissa! So far, that’s as far as I’ve actually got…just thinking about it! I don’t really have the time to devote to chunksters atm but I do hope to tackle it one day. I read Anna Karenina last year for Uni and really liked it.
Lakeside Musing is doing a year-long read of Clarissa if doing it that way might be more manageable?
Vanity Fair was my favorite of 2011. It pushed all the right buttons. I have a War & Peace personal project going on and next year I might do the same with either Anna Karenina or The Count of Monte-Cristo.
I might make a project of The Count of Monte Cristo next year too. And I’m reading War & Peace right now.
You have a few in there that I am itching to read too: Middlemarch, Vanity Fair, Bleak House, Anna Kareninaand Les Mis. I am planning to read at least one of those this year (hopefully more).
Funnily enough I am really in the mood for chunksters this year after hardly touching them last year. I am in the mood for victorian indulgence too so as well as the ones above I am actually reading David Copperfield (900+ pages) Armadale (Collins) at the moment which is over 700 pages and I plan on reading A Trollope or two.
Other chuncksters on my list for this years are: Shogun, Gone With The Wind and Lonesome Dove. Can’t wait.
Re your list: I LOVED The Woman in White but really didn’t get on with The Mill on the Floss (but I hope you do)
I think I’ve told you Gone With the Wind is my favorite novel? I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Yes: Victorian indulgence. That’s exactly what I’m in the mood for. Lonesome Dove is on my TBR for eventually…
I’m also reading Vanity Fairthis year. The other chunksters on my pile that I’m looking forward to are Mark Twain’s autobiography, A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, and The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore. The while list of the chunksters I’m reading is posted on my blog. You have a great list here!
Oh! You’ve reminded me that I also own (and want to read) A Cider House Rules and Of Human Bondage.
I’ll check out your chunkster list.
Bleak House is definitely on my list too. And all those other books sound good too–the only one I’ve read is Anna Karenina (really liked it). I have a lot of reading to look forward to!
That’s a great feeling, isn’t it?
This is a really great list! You’ve got me interested in Clarissa. I’ve got a lot of chunksters on my TBR list as well including War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Brothers Karamazov, and Vanity Fair. I’m also reading Middlemarch and Les Miserables this year. I have a free ebook version of Bleak House that I haven’t got around to reading yet.
You should read the post by o that I linked above. She got me super-excited about Clarissa.
I love chunksters! I don’t get to read them these days though – I gave up on The Tale of Genji, it was stressing me out to try and finish it by the end of January for a book club; I just don’t get the time and opportunity to really dig into one anymore.
BUT, I loved Anna Karenina and I have a few of these to-read and there’re a few more I want to read – I remember watching an adaptation of Clarissa when I was in high school (so about 17 years ago!!), the one with Sean Bean, and after the first episode I remember spending an entire maths class daydreaming! Though it got nasty later on. I was also in love with the dresses. 
Same goes for Middlemarch: Rufus Sewell, woof! I’ve wanted to read the book ever since and I finally got a copy last year. I’ve had The Woman in White for ages too but haven’t got around to it – I hadn’t realised it was so long, my copy is an old second-hand paperback and it doesn’t look very long! Thinner pages.
Vanity Fair was really good – had also seen two adaptations before reading it. I had to read The Mill on the Floss for the book club last year but I was pregnant and couldn’t concentrate so I think I only got about 6 pages in!
Here’s my (completely irreverent) list.
Ha ha – you’ll have to get back to The Mill on the Floss! It’s way longer than 6 pages!
[...] Top Ten list we missed, or make up our own. I’m not nearly as clever, so I stole my list from A Room of One’s Own (thanks Jillian!). My top ten is the Top Ten Chunksters I’m Itching to [...]
Chunksters! LOL! You make them sound like they’ve been eating too many burgers or something. I loved Anna Karenina – but I read it during a really, really boring summer. And it took most of my waking hours, all day, every day. I keep starting Vanity Fair and not finishing it. Bless the Kindle for making chunksters easier to lug around. Oh and I’m so stealing this list idea. YOINK!
Ha ha – I didn’t come up with the phrase “chunkster” — but you’re right. It sounds like book pacman.
I kind of want to savor Vanity Fair. When I love a book, it takes me forever to read it.
This is such a fun topic! I kind of want to do this one!
My list would be similar to yours.
I’m really excited for Clarissa as well as nervous. I think we can do it, but I’m a bit intimidated. But those who are reading it for the year-long are enjoying it, so I think it’ll be easier than we think.
Doris Kearns Goodwin is an interesting writer. There was some controversy about her quite a few years ago in regards to plagiarism and such. I can’t remember the specifics, but I think she forgot to quote and cite a few sources in one of her books. I haven’t read that title above, but I read No Ordinary Time for a college World War II history class, and I absolutely loved it. She has a great approachable style, which I really like in biographies and histories.
And yes! Mill on the Floss!
I decided to do the Victorian event in June and July, so maybe you can read Eliot and Collins then…unless you get to them earlier in the year.
I just moved my Victorian TBRs for 2012 into pretty little slots in June and July. I am completely devoted to the Victorian project. (I can’t wait!)
Hm, that’s interesting about Goodwin. I wonder if it was an earlier work? She won the Pulitzer for Team of Rivals.
Clarissa might turn out to be a favorite novel. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
that’s a lot of pages
good luck with your reading.
It is! You and I know about chunksters, eh? Thanks, Kaye.
I think I have a phobia of chunksters! Which is a terrible thing for literature lover to have! I’ve forced myself to put a few on my list for this year though: Dr Zhivago, David Copperfield, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Gone With the Wind. Oh dear God, just realised that three of them are over 1000 pages!!! Good luck to me, good luck to you!!
Here’s my top ten tuesday list: http://esotericsips.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-ten-film-adaptations-and-fictional.html
Gone With the Wind is my favorite novel ever. I couldn’t possibly recommend it more strongly than to fall to my knees and plead: “Read it now!!!” (Or you know, whenever the fancy strikes.)
Chunksters (as you call them lol) tend to daunt me, hence the two on my tbr shelf that are have been lingering there far too long. They are Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Game of Thrones by George R R Martin. Really hoping to get round to both this year!
Jane Eyre!!!!!! YOU. MUST. READ. IT. It doesn’t feel like a chunkster at all. It is sooooo good.
You missed out Moby Dick! Great list, though. …you’re a brave girl!
I figured since I’m hoping to finish Moby-Dick this month, I’d use the space on the list for another title. I didn’t forget our Ishmael.
Ah…cool!
Interesting list – some of them are new to me. I enjoyed Middlemarch and Anna Karenina and Les Miserables. My really big book I’m about to attempt is A Dance to the Music of Time, a 12-volume cycle of novels written in four “movements.” I haven’t started yet – I only just heard about it from the blog 101 Books. Not Victorian, though – post WWII.
I want to read that one! It sounds beautiful. It’s on my “eventually” list, as I have quite a few I want to read NOW, but I do intend to get to it.
Great list! It’s been forever since I’ve really read a chunkster. I’m not sure how you’re defining it, but it it’s over 500 pages, I’m currently about 1/5 of the way into one (Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño), although I’m not sure that I actually like it–but it would be my first chunkster in a couple years. I read Vanity Fair in high school and kind of plodded through it until I suddenly realized that I only had a few days left and was out of renewals, so I think I read the last quarter or so in a couple days! Ah, for the time I had then….
I’m actually planning on reading quite a few chunksters this year, including a couple from your list this year, too: Bleak House (is it really that long? I have a two-volume set but neither seems that thick…) and The Woman in White. All I need to know about that last book is that I LOVE Wilkie Collins!
Lots of people reading Bleak House this year. I might have to cave and add it to my 2012 list…
What?! No, I can’t do that…
Ha, ha! I’ve committed to Bleak House for the TBR Challenge, so I have no choice! (Or rather, if I choose to go with an alternate instead, it will be another chunkster!)
Very exciting! There is hardly anything more thrilling than planning which books to read! Sometimes I think I even prefer it to the process of actually reading them
Your list looks great, especially since I am also eagerly awaiting Anna Karenina and Les Misérables. Unfortunately I never have time/concentration enough for chunksters except for in the holidays.
I might prefer the planning to reading too!
That’s such a great list! I loved Middlemarch, Les Miserables and The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins is my favourite Victorian author, so I hope you’ll like him as much as I do!) and I also enjoyed Anna Karenina, though the translation I read wasn’t very good, so I’d like to try again with a different edition.
I’ve just started reading Clarissa for the year-long readalong and although I’m not very far into it yet I’m enjoying it and finding it much easier to read than I’d expected.
Oh, that’s good to know!
Yay Clarissa! Am with you with Bleak House, Les Misérables, Vanity Fair and The Woman in White
I’m half tempted to look at the Hermione Lee, even though I never got anywhere with it before. When are you starting it? Fancy a read-along? I’ll just go at your pace, don’t need to get any plans together or anything 
I’m taking the Woolf bio very casually, rather than following a plan. Just picking it up as I’m inspired. I hadn’t intended to read it this year, but it called me, so it’s an addition to an already towering plan for 2012. You know how it is.
If I decide to read more by plan, I’ll definitely let you know!
So many books that I want to read too, but there is so little time. Les Misérables…yeah…really need to read that book…
It’s very good.
Anna Karenina and Les Miserables are on my list of books I’d like to read.
Both are very good, from what I’ve read.
I promised myself that this is the year I will tackle War and Peace. You can’t get more Russian, war-ry, peace-y and looooooong.
Tempting?
Oh, that’s some lovely chunksters you have on the list. I’ve read Middlemarch and Anna Karenina and I’m currently reading Clarissa and planning on reading Les Misérables later this year. I just love huge books!
Me too!
Ditto on the following:
Bleak House and The Woman in White.
Read Vanity Fair, and it didn’t seem like a chunkster to me. Adored it! Movie version…not so much.
Aw, I loved the movie! I know what you mean: it doesn’t feel like a chunkster. (I keep thinking on it lately and can’t wait to get back to it! A storyline in Middlemarch is reminding me of Becky Sharp, who I find fascinating!)
I felt like there was something off with Witherspoon’s performance. I think it was the hidden pregnancy which didn’t jive with my mind’s eye of Becky.
storyline…Rosy Vincy perhaps?
I need to rewatch it after I finish the book, but I have a feeling I’ll still love the movie. I had no idea she was pregnant.
Yes — Rosy!
So many great clunksters on your list!!! Get really excited about The Woman in White! Anna K. is also on my reread list this year. I think there’s a new movie coming out and I’d like to re-familiarize myself with the novel.
Enjoy that! Yes, I heard that Keira Knightly will play Anna. Intriguing…