I understand why it takes years.

When I was younger (and life was decidedly simpler), I had this notion that a book could be written and published within a year. A YEAR! That seems preposterous to me now. For one, I understand much more about the grueling process of editing. I understand that the mind needs time–sometimes MONTHS–to mull over plot and characters before solutions are found. Second, adult life is freaking busy. Granted, this is my mala annum, my “bad year,” as a coworker put it. I’ve had a few family deaths, family sickness, crazy work deadlines. And then I’ve gone and crammed in things like wedding planning and training for my first triathlon. Oh, and writing a book. Still, though, we all have distractions and obligations. I mean, I don’t even have children. I can’t imagine that.

To comfort myself, I looked up how long it took authors to write their famous books. Here’s what I found:

Gustave Flaubert: Madame Bovary: 5 years
JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: 7 years
Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tales: 10 years
John Fowles: The Collector: 12 years
Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice: 16 years
Victor Hugo: Les Misérables: 17 years

I’m hoping to have my book edited (to my liking) by early 2014, then sending it out. That’s “fast” in the grand scheme of things.

Does anyone know of any other books that took a long time to write?