Now reading Anna Karenina for the first time, dealing once again with the travails of a long Russian novel.  Tolstoy, in this and in War and Peace, gives one a lot of book for the money (especially as this is a free Kindle book!) I hope I never have a book out with so many character names that an index is needed.  This is about a month's project at the progress I am managing, as understanding the novel instead of glossing over it requires some investment of time and effort.  A study guide is invaluable and I printed out both Cliff Notes and Spark Notes to help me.  Another excellent historical  novel is Kristin Lavransdatter, a story about medieval Norway. It is a major treatise, too, earning the first Nobel prize in literature for a woman; in this case, Sigrid Undset.