The Idiot by Dostoyevsky. No, I'm not an idiot. I get the intrigue against the prince's good name, his sacred visions of transcendence, the fickleness of high society, the unfinished business with Filipnova and Rogozhin as a constant psychical backdrop, various critical perspectives on 19th century Russia... But, fuck, after Tolstoy I'm just jaded by the holistic, all-inclusive descriptiveness that leaves no word or behavior untouched.

>>48
Picked up Eon around a month and a half and ago. Yeah, it's pretty long for science fiction (Tony Daniel and Alistair Reynolds are the only other authors I've read who approach Bear's breadth), yet manages not to stagnate as interesting physics and technology are almost constantly introduced alongside a steady stream of new characters, with focus shifting evenly between science and human affairs.