* Definition: What exactly constitutes a sentence? Grammatical rules, punctuation, or something else?
* Context: Are we looking at the longest single sentence in a single work, or the longest across all works?
* Language: Sentences can be incredibly long in some languages, making comparisons across languages difficult.
However, a few contenders for the title of "longest sentence" include:
* "The Tin Drum" by Günter Grass: This German novel contains a sentence spanning over 10,000 words. It's considered one of the longest sentences in modern literature.
* "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien: While not one continuous sentence, there are sections within Tolkien's works that contain extremely long, complex sentences.
* "Ulysses" by James Joyce: This notoriously challenging novel features lengthy sentences, though not as long as some others.
It's important to note that the longest sentence may not necessarily be the most impressive. The length of a sentence is often a stylistic choice, and sometimes shorter, more concise sentences can be far more impactful.
Ultimately, the answer to your question depends on the criteria used to define "longest sentence." There's no single definitive answer, but the works mentioned above are definitely contenders for the title.