The most daunting books ever written... that you need to read

Page count: 720

What it’s about: The narrator joins a whaling ship captained by Ahab, who wants to catch a certain white whale (Moby-Dick) that took his leg. Despite long digressions about the whaling trade, Ahab’s descent into obsessional madness is gripping.

Why you should read it: It's a cracking adventure book for one, but look beyond the water's surface and there's a deep exploration into philosophy, history, science and much more.

First line: Call me Ishmael.

Page count: 576

What it’s about: A young Russian intellectual living in poverty sells his possessions before killing his pawnbroker. His guilt turns the story into a psychological thriller about human conscience.

Why you should read it: The Russian names will get some getting used to (especially as everyone seems to have about five of them) but beyond that, this is a book that gets to the core of the human condition and why some people commit crimes and are punished, while others are seemingly not.

First line: On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K Bridge.

Page count:1,440

What it’s about: The story of five aristocratic families during the French invasion of Russia, told (mostly) in the manner of modern historical fiction. Unfortunately it’s now popularly known as a bad punchline — “What are you writing, War And Peace?”

Why you should read it: The most daunting thing about War And Peace is its size, but break it down and you will be enveloped by the brilliant characters within. This is a story about how the people of Moscow decided to pretty much party when they knew Napoleon was knocking on their door to invade. Throughout the book the perspective shifts too, with narratives being passed along from character to character - a modern trope that makes the book feel fresh, some 150 years after it was written.

First line: “Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes.”

Page count: 1,040

What it’s about: Two men — writer Stephen Dedalus and advertising canvasser Leopold Bloom — whose lives intertwine during the course of a single day in Dublin (16 June 1904). Except the ordinary is then turned extraordinary by Joyce’s refusal to shy away from anything, particularly the darker and ruder bits of humanity. Some people are put off by his continual style changes, but the language is crystal-clear.

Why you should read it: Take your time but the lyrical brilliance of James Joyce's words will captivate you. Yes, you made need a guide to get through the denser parts of the story (and scrub up on your knowledge of The Odyssey beforehand) but remember that Joyce wants you to find joy in being confused so it doesn't always have to make sense!

First line: Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.

Page count: 351 pages

What it’s about: Seen by many as The Great American Novel, a teenager travels across the American southwest and northern Mexico, teaming up with a gang who are on a mission to rid America of Indigenous Americans.

Why you should read it: With one of the greatest villains of all time and writing that is compelling throughout, this is a brutal novel that's not for the faint-hearted.

First line: See the child. He is pale and thin, he wears a thin and ragged linen shirt. He stokes the scullery fire.

Page count: 1,008

What it’s about: A comic tale of a humble man who fashions himself as a chivalrous knight and sets out on many adventures. In 2002, it was voted best novel by 100 modern authors.

Why you should read it: It's Paul Auster's favorite novel for one. But beyond that, its episodic structure means that you can take time with this one. Also, it's a book about someone who is unable to separate fact from fiction anymore. An apt allegory, then, for these 'post truth' times.

First line: Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing.

Pages: 760

What's it about: Among many complex, maddening strands of this non-linear novel, the main plot is about a group of individuals trying to uncover secrets of a secret rocket made by the Nazis near the end of WWII - which is told by way of myriad erections, flashbacks to the 1700s, flash forwards and anything else Pynchon decides to through into his primordial soup of a novel.

Why you should read it: It'll take some decoding but there is a lot of fun to be had in Pynchon's meta fiction. Maybe try one of his other books first, though, to get acquainted with the author - something like Inherent Vice.

First line: A screaming comes across the sky.

Page count: 832

What it’s about: Nick Shay is a waste-management executive with a sinister past and a wife who’s having an affair. The novel spans his life, wider historical events and the lives of the famous, using a baseball as the constant link between people and time. A 2006 survey of authors and critics by The New York Times voted it runner-up for best American novel of the previous 25 years (Toni Morrison’s Beloved came first).

Why you should read it: Written by one of the greatest modern day American authors, DeLillo gets to the very heart of what make America tick, from baseball to Cold War paranoia and everything in between.

First line: He speaks in your voice, American, and there’s a shine in his eye that’s halfway hopeful.

Page count: 432

What it’s about: A man takes his son on a 17-day motorcycle journey. Along the way he discusses philosophy, his past and what is meant by ‘good’.

Why you should read it: Don't be put off by its title! It's not hawking Buddhism and doesn't really give much insight into motorbikes either. But what it does do is offer up philosophical questions that will/may get you questioning how you live.

First line: I can see by my watch, without taking my hand from the left grip of the cycle, that it is eight-thirty in the morning.

Page count: 256

What it’s about: The fundamental questions of physics and our existence tailored to a non-genius audience. Topics covered include gravity, black holes, the Big Bang and the nature of time. The book occupied the bestseller list for several years.

Why you should read it: Yes, it's a book about science but it's not written with scientists in mind. It boils down incredibly complicated theories about black holes and the like into digestible segments.

First line: A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy.

Page count: 656

What it’s about: Three Italian editors play a game creating a super-conspiracy linking major events in European history, attracting attention from real conspiracy theorists who want to know the truth at all costs.

Why you should read it: If you want to understand just how and why people get caught up in conspiracy theories, then this is the book for you. It's utterly evocative how the narrative is spun connecting big moments in history, even if you feel like you've entered a dark QAnon forum.

First line: That was when I saw the Pendulum.

Page count: 912

What it’s about: Five sections with different characters and settings, all linked to a Mexican city where 300 young women have been murdered. It’s based on the real town of Ciudad Juarez, where thousands of women have been murdered or gone missing in the past 20 years.

Why you should read it: It's strange and maddening in places, but this is a novel for those who like to genre jump. It's got five sections that explore different genres, including thrillers, romantic fiction, detective fiction and much more.

First line: The first time that Jean-Claude Pelletier read Benno von Archimboldi was Christmas 1980, in Paris, when he was nineteen years old and studying German literature.

Page count: 1,104

What it’s about: Set in a future North America, the plot ‘focuses’ on a halfway house for addicts, a tennis academy and an attack by separatists from Quebec, wrapped up with famously sprawling footnotes. Wallace was only 33 when he wrote it.

Why you should read it: There really is nothing like Infinite Jest and its themes have aged like a fine wine. The virality of pop culture, TV binge-watching... all of this is skewered in the book, in a story that wants to fight how entertainment has turned us all into mush - by making you work for your entertainment with a book that contains endless footnotes.

First line: I am seated in an office, surrounded by heads and bodies.

Page count: 2,656 (Parts I & II)

What it’s about: A narrator reflects on his life and tries to understand it. One of the longest novels ever written, it took Proust more than a decade to complete.

Why you should read it: Over 400 characters, some million plus words. Yes, this one is for those who are in it for the long run. Stick with it and you have prose that is genuinely funny in places, while playing with the concepts of identity and memory. We will also always have a soft spot when it comes to novels that are about the process of writing as well.

First line: For a long time I used to go to bed early.

Page count: 912

What it’s about: William Dorrit is being held in debtor’s prison Marshalsea, where Dickens’ father was once jailed. While Dorrit spends years locked up, his daughter — Little Dorrit — tries in vain to pay his debts. A satirical work that takes a swipe at HM Treasury and Britain’s burgeoning industrial workplace.

Why you should read it: There's no better description of Victorian London than in this book. And while you need to suspend disbelief when it comes to how the characters are all linked, the characters themselves are all beautifully realised.

First line: Thirty years ago, Marseilles lay burning in the sun, one day.