The Longest Novel Ever Written

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

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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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