I didn't know I could finish a novel in one sitting until I picked up Around the World in Eighty Days. Not flexing, just realized.
It's a simple adventurous novel with a slight twist near the end. I picked up a translated copy from the library, maybe 150 pages, nicely spaced and easy to follow. When I searched online, the original seemed close to 400 pages. Mine was perfect for a beginner.
I felt the adventure as if I were traveling myself. Near the end, I could feel time moving faster because the journey had to be completed in under 80 days. That time constraint works really well to pull you in.
I was in it. Feeling the hurry, the people, the atmosphere.
The best part is imagination. The author holds your hand, shows direction, and you visualize the rest however you want. But what made it even better was watching how filmmakers imagined the same story and turned it into movies. Suddenly, you notice the gap between your version and theirs. It gives you a completely different perspective on stories you've already lived inside your own head.
Overall, it's a play between the author's words and your imagination. You stay somewhere in between and enjoy the illusion.
Also my first post here. Felt right to start with this.