BW5: E is for Epic

Courtesy of NTP012419

Happy Sunday!  I have an affection for long novels, probably because I read so fast.  Books of 200 to 300 pages go by in a flash leaving me wanting more.  And for some strange reason, I tend to read books of 500 pages and up much slower.  Maybe there is more to savor, to absorb, to ponder.  Maybe it's the world building or the ensemble cast of characters, or the scale and detail of the story itself.  

What makes a novel epic versus just being a chunky book full of story? A story is full of narrative, generally focusing on a single event.  An epic is a quest, or a series of quests, a mingling of stories and characters, told on a grand scale, encompassing years and years of history, mythology, or fantasy. 

My favorite epic stories have been a variety of historical fiction, to fantasy to westerns with Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, Stephen King's Gunslinger series, Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove,  Marian Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Aragon, J.K. Rowling Harry Potter Series, to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy.   

From the ancient epics to modern epics, there is a wide variety to tickle your reading palate. 

What books would you consider epic? Share the most epic story you have ever read.  What stories set in the modern day, besides fantasy or paranormal, would you consider epic? 

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