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The Longest Novel Ever Written

  • schlesadv
  • Dec 27, 2025
  • 1 min read

Most accepted literary standards, the longest novel ever written is:

In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu)

Author: Marcel Proust

  • Word count: ~1.2 million words

  • Volumes: 7

  • Published: 1913–1927

  • Why it holds the record:

    • Recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest novel

    • Fully published, widely translated, and considered a major literary work


Other “longest book” contenders (by different definitions):

  • Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus (1650–1653)

    • ~2.1 million words

    • Extremely long but rarely read today

  • Mission Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

    • ~1.2 million words (10 volumes)

  • The Blah Story by Nigel Tomm

    • Millions of words, but often excluded due to experimental format and limited recognition


 
 
 

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