I'm reading this over June and July with a friend, and I might not be able to get to the library on time, so if you're in the same boat, here's the link. It's Project Gutenberg so no sleazy ads, no shady sites, just a normal run-of-the-mill place to read a book for free on your electronic.
Update: I'm really enjoying it so far - I'm already finished with part two and it's only the seventh! I thought I would kind of dislike it bc it's about the USA's Civil War and it's a HUGE book - but I was actually hooked after the first couple chapters, which is mind-blowing to me bc honestly I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, especially giant-size historical fiction. I finally understand what all the hype was about and if you're in the same boat as I am, find someone to read it with so that you'll actually stick with it even if you're not a huge fan of it, and then just go for it. If you're reading it online, I would highly suggest getting a hard copy to read bc I find it extremely hard to enjoy a book if it's through a screen. fsr it's so much easier if I have something to hold, and pages to flip - and the book is so long that I think it's easy to get bored, disinterested, and/or discouraged when you're reading it online, partially bc you can't see the progress you're making as easily as you can when you have the actual material. Just some advice, take it or leave idrc.
(btw it's only an update because I wrote the first part of the post - including the link - way back at the beginning of May, before I'd started the book and now that I've started it I'm "coming back" to update, even tho it's not really coming back if it's all going up on the same day 😂)
Another update (June 28, 2019): please nobody read this book. To take a page out of Lemony Snicket's book: if you've never read this book and you're curious, good for you and don't be. Please take my advice and don't even think about reading it unless you like unsatisfying, inconclusive endings that leave you with too many questions, a hatred for all books in general especially this one, and an apathy for life. Literally. I did not care about anything after I read that book - I wasn't interested in my favorite movies, sports, activities, and especially not books. I was so disinterested in everything, it was like I was a zombie, just going through the motions, doing nothing, thinking nothing, feeling nothing, caring about nothing, I did not care about anything, I kind of just wanted everything to go away and I hate this book, don't read it. It took me three days (and counting) to get over the book. It's been three days and I'm still not over it, I can't get it off my mind, every day I wake up and remember the ending and it's a drag, just don't read it please just don't. You might not know why (because I don't give away spoilers) but just trust me when I say you don't want to read the book. You might love it up until the ending but you won't love the ending. ofc, five star reviews come from somewhere so I guess there are still a lot of crazy people around who love the book, and also it became a classic somehow but just don't read it. plz I'm trying to save you, just take my advice and leave it alone. ig if you're reading it w other ppl it's less of a drag bc then you can talk about it but then in that case wait until they've caught up w you so that you can talk it out w them. Just warning you, I would stay as far away as possible from that trash novel.
