War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy, 1,392 pages
A pinnacle of Russian literature and arguably the greatest novel ever written, this epic has everything — historical sweep, romance, military battles, family drama, philosophical essays — all against the backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. It’s also about people trying to find their way in a time of crisis and social upheaval, which makes it a fitting read for our current moment.
The Harry Potter series
J.K. Rowling, 4,100 pp.
Yes, we all read these seven books years ago. But it’s worth going back to the beginning — before the eight bloated movies, before the theme parks, before Emma Watson became a UN ambassador — to relive how Rowling brought a magical world to life on the printed page with little more than her own boundless imagination.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Alex Haley, 729 pp.
You may have seen the 1977 ABC miniseries that turned “Roots” into a cultural sensation. Or “Roots: The Next Generations,” the sequel. Or the 2016 History Channel remake. It all started with Haley’s Pulitzer-winning novel, which traces his family lineage back to Kunta Kinte, an African boy who was sold into slavery and brought to America. The book is a gripping and essential document of the African American experience.
In Search of Lost Time
Marcel Proust, 4,211 pp.
If you want to wow your friends — or get teased for your pretentiousness — dig into this massive brick of a book, hailed by some as the most influential novel of the 20th century. Proust, a Frenchman, packed its pages with profound musings on art, the elusive nature of memory and the melancholy passage of time. It can admittedly be tough sledding. It’s also in seven volumes, although the last three were unfinished drafts published after Proust’s death. So you can probably skip those.
The 21st Century Woman 