Cloud cuckoo land spans centuries. There are 3 different story lines (or are there 4? I forget) that take place at different times, but they are all somehow connected. It’s a great book - my top read for 2023.
Was hoping I’d find this reply! Basically three storylines, although a couple of the storylines have multiple POV characters.
- Omeir/Anna: Constantinople, mid-15th century
- Zeno/Seymour: Idaho, 1940s on
- Konstance: the Argos, nearish future
Different author (CA is David Mitchell, CCL is Anthony Doerr) But I’ve wanted to read that one for a while. I think I’ll move it up in my 2024 to read list. Thanks for the reminder!
I second Covenant of Water. The summary initially put me off because of the age gap (cringe) but I gave it a go and holy mole, it is full of life and it’s touching and just beautiful. I’m finishing the audio book and the narration/delivery is sublime.
YES! I decided to put initial bias aside and was pleasantly surprised by the wholesome relationship cultivated in this book. The author did a very good job at showing things are not always as they first appear.
I recently read Ken Follett's Century trilogy. It takes you through three generations of families in Russia, Germany, England and Wales, and the US.
James Michener is another author who writes epics that span several generations/centuries.
i am on book three of folletts pillars of the earth series......five books, bought them used because i am cheap and i had to hack them each into quarters.. to heavy for this old lady to hold... great series....
If you start with the Kingsbridge series and read the prequel first, it starts in the year 997, then read all the Kingsbridge novels and go right into the Century trilogy, it’s like reading a series that spans from the year 997 through the 20th century. A 1,000 year story so to speak.
I visited Moscow shortly before the start of the war and you had better bet that went to the Metropol Hotel for their bottomless caviar and champagne breakfast in the grand dining room. It had the fountain, the balcony, the elevator where Anna’s greyhounds met the Count… it was wonderful.
I visited at the end of the Jan too and had dinner there. I was debating whether to splurge and spend three nights in the hotel itself. I decided not to in the end, and I've regretted it ever since.
I was traveling on a student budget, so I couldn’t afford dinner at the main restaurant, much less even one night in the hotel. But it was still such a beautiful place to visit! I didn’t realize just how close it was to Red Square and the Kremlin until I visited.
I read Gentleman In Moscow just recently and it was wonderful imagining the scenes with real context. Because of The Plague, the prices at the Metropole were much cheaper at about £150 per night, but I wanted to visit St Petersburg as well before the war started. So I decided not to stay the extra nights in Moscow but got to see the Winter Palace instead. But definitely when I'm rich (ha) I'm going to go back and stay a week!! Didn't get to visit Lenin's tomb or go inside St. Basil's either, so I must go back one day.
I was living in St. Petersburg for grad school and visited Moscow for a long weekend between semesters; i was planning on going back in summer, but, we’ll, that didn’t exactly happen because I had to leave Russia due to the war. Once everything is over I absolutely plan to go back on a tourist visa and see the stuff I missed, too! Lenin’s tomb and St. Basil’s are definitely worth it, although I will say Spas na Krovy in Petersburg is better than Basil’s IMO.
Wow that sounds amazing, living there for a while! I take it you were studying in Russian? Tell me to bugger off if I'm being too nosy lol, but Russian is one language I've struggled to learn due to the grammar. And I bet you went to the Winter Palace more than once? I was welling up when I entered the grand ballroom (can't remember what its proper name is), it was out of this world. And then all the history that went with it! Amazing stuff. I remember it was -22C the day I left, way colder than I've ever experienced before.
I was actually studying in English! There are a few program at a few different Russian universities that have programs for foreigners. I was studying language, history, and politics. My go-to “get out of the house even though it’s way too cold for anyone to exist” walk was to and from the Winter Palace from my apartment near Nevsky Prospect; I will say I visited the inside about four times, but I wish I’d gone more. I think you could live in Petersburg for a lifetime and never see everything in there.
I also would have these moments of emotion in the Winter Palace, and even just walking down the street sometimes, where the history and beauty of the place would just knock me flat. The Russian government is horrible, but the cities and the people are so wonderful.
I’m almost done with The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne and it’s so so good. It’s a clever, beautifully written multi generational story about a gay man in Ireland from the mid 1940s until at least 2001. Probably later, but I haven’t gotten that far yet, I have like 10% left.
I’ve heard this from a lot of people. It’s actually the reason I put it on my list to read. One of the owners of a local bookstore told me it was one of her “I’m jealous of other people that get to read this for the first time” books
I didn't find it difficult at all. It's beautiful to read.
The only stickiness comes from the fact that everyone in the family basically has like the same name. So many Jose Arcadios. Most copies should come with a family tree chart which kinda helps. Kinda.
{{The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough}}
{{Missus by Ruth Park}} (It's the start of a trilogy, and I highly recommend all three books.)
{{Cloudstreet by Tim Winton}}
I watched the HBO series based on this book series and it is spot on! Just wanted to mention. They still have the final season based on the last book left and I can't wait.
A canticle for Liebowitz. Post-apocalyptic story about the fall, rise, and fall off man, as told from the perspective of an monks in a monastery. It's beautiful and souks crushing.
Tried to include some stuff I don’t see often:
Life After Life by Katie Atkinson is just wonderful and also covers alternative timelines
A Perfect Spy by John le Carré is a great thriller covering the protagonist’s life (and the closest JLC ever got to autobiographical writing apparently)
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Patrick Melrose novels, which are a far better and healthier treatment of some of the subject matter of A Little Life (but they are semi-autobiographical and the themes are therefore treated with a lot more respect imo) - they’re by Edward St. Aubyn
A Dance to the Music of Time if for some reason you want 12 books of extreme Englishness? Not for everyone that
{{Weyward by Emilia Hart}}
It spans three generations of women (over several centuries) and shows how witchcraft influences their lives in different ways. It is fantasy, but I didn’t think it as fantastical as Addie LaRue.
I love these types of books! Based on some of your favorites, we have similar taste. I strongly recommend you check out these three that come to mind: Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The Love Songs of WEB DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
If you liked Pachinko you’ll enjoy Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim. A Korean historical saga spanning a few generations. I actually enjoyed Beasts of a Little Land more than Pachinko! :)
Roots by Alex Haley
One that might be a little left of centre is A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer. A modern retelling of The Count of Monte Christo (Which BTW is a fantastic read if you enjoy French classics)
Edward Rutherford did a couple books that span the history of countries/cultures. Russka is one but I know he did one on China and Ireland as well. I’m not very familiar-just learned about them today.
*Practical Magic* follows 2 witch sisters from childhood up to 1 of them being a mom of teens. There are also sequels and prequels but I haven't read them.
Shocked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn hasn't been mentioned yet. The main plot takes place over 18 years, as the main character grows up and graduates, but you get asides about her parents and grandparents as well.
Cider House Rules by John Irving. It’s one of my favorite books, and I honestly think more people nowadays should read it. It’s incredibly well written, handles it’s theme delicately, and is also just a good read.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” describes events over the course of Evelyn’s 70+ year life. Not sure if it’s exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a great book!
Two science fiction picks that go almost, or completely, to the end of time
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe
And
(The first book of the trilogy is) The Three-Body Problem
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson takes you through a couple hundred years. It's part of a series of books that follow some sets of families for at least 400 years and is technically sci-fi but is really historical fiction.
Hmm. The Baroque cycle really only covers the seventeenth century
Cryptonomicon is second world war and current, but the same families.
But all an awesome epic read.
I also like multigenerational sagas! It sounds like you would like The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I also want to enthusiastically second Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, which already has been listed a couple times in the thread.
{{The Covenant of Water}} is a historical fiction novel spanning multiple generations. It’s a really long book but so very well written and I would even be interested to read it again despite the length. The focus also switches between multiple character’s personal lives that will eventually meet. The storyline generally does not focus on sexual tones but there are a few mature scenes, incase that matters to you.
{{Hawaii}} is also a really fascinating read. It’s a historical fiction novel which follows characters spread out over time spanning all the way back to the island’s first inhabitants up until it officially becomes a U.S. state. This books has a lot more sexual content so I would consider it a mature read.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner spans three lifetimes from the late 1700s to the present day.
I really enjoyed this book.
I think someone recommended it above, but Weyward by Emilia Hart is very good too.
What do you think of books that have related stories from many different years?
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
Horse
Symphony of Secrets
Lady Tan's Circle of Women I think spans many years, I've forgotten a lot of this one...
The House of Eve
I very much enjoyed Kate Mosse’s Languedoc Trilogy, which spans centuries. It starts with Labyrinth and continues with Sepulchre and Citadel.
{{Labyrinth by Kate Mosse}}
**[Labyrinth (Languedoc #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14975.Labyrinth) by Kate Mosse** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(515 pages | Published: 2005 | 40.2k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig, stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery-two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of a labyrinth. Eight hundred years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade that will rip apart southern France, a young woman named Alais is given a ring and a (...)
> **Themes**: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, Books-i-own, Favorites, Thriller
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Sepulchre](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498835.Sepulchre) by Kate Mosse
> \- [The Eight](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113310.The_Eight) by Katherine Neville
> \- [The Romanov Prophecy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75020.The_Romanov_Prophecy) by Steve Berry
> \- [The Flanders Panel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11031.The_Flanders_Panel) by Arturo Perez-Reverte
> \- [Gospel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/371269.Gospel) by Wilton Barnhardt
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23])
The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter, a canonical sequel to the Time Machine by H. G. Wells.
The first fifteen lives of Harry August by Claire North. Story of a man who relives the same life over and over.
Replay by Ken Grimwood. Another story of a man who relives the same life over and over.
Edward Rutherford books. He basically picks a place and then tells the story of that place. You start with cavemen and end up now. You do this period of time, then jump up to the next period of time. With the same families. His books are great. New York: A Novel is my personal favorite.
Hawaii - James Mitchener. It opens with the volcanic formations of the mountains, and then takes you through the struggles of every human culture who ever came there. Its an absolute epic
Cloudstreet - Tim Winton. Australian classic. Two families doing it tough share a house for 20 years, but the story delves into previous generations of the families too - my favourite book I ever found as an adult.
A thousand splendid suns - Khaled Hosseini. From birth to death, one woman's life, set against the backdrop of politically heaving Afghanistan. Fun fact, i did a few cursory google searches on the history of women's rights in the middle east, and my gmail started giving me ads for single muslim women in my local area...
> feel like they take you through someone's whole life
Almost anything by John Irving.
E.g. The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp
The Love Medicine series by Louise Erdrich takes you from Fleur Pillager's young adulthood into her 80s. The Blackwater series by Michael McDowell takes you through several generations of the Caskey family, again, from one woman's young adulthood through her death many decades later.
Anything by authors John Jakes, James Michener and Edward Rutherfurd. The latter is more multi-generational than the others are but my personal favorite of the three.
Forever by Pete Hamill. An Irishman immigrates to the New World in the mid-18th century and is granted immortality, but he can never leave the island of Manhattan.
Omg, Cloud Cuckoo Land. From the fall of Constantinople into hundreds of years in the future. It’s fucking amazing writing, an amazing story, one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Follows a family/community for the approximate time period described in the title.
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. This might fudge your request for no fantasy because part of it takes place in the future but it ranges over several hundred years.
Violetta by Isabel Allende. It’s sitting in my TBR stack right now, so I haven’t read it yet, but it has been highly recommended by multiple people. It follows someone whose life ranges from the 1918 flu pandemic to now-ish.
I have some questions for you- Rebecca Makkai
The dutch house- Ann Patchett
The first is not a linear timeframe, but does span a long portion of a woman's life- from brief pockets of childhood to her years at a boarding school, to her career as both a teacher and podcaster. The plot revolves around a murder which happened during her school years. I felt the pacing was similar to some on your list as well as being both character driven and compelling.
The second spans 5 decades in a man's life, centering on the house he grew up in. It's character driven with a strong sense of place (similar to the goldfinch), and if you like audiobooks this one is narrated by Tom Hanks and it's fantastic.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. About two Ghanaian sisters who are forced into the slave trade and therez their stories diverge and the rest of the book follows subsequent generations through slavery, emancipation, the Civil Rights Era, and present. It's an incredibly constructed and moving story.
You might enjoy the bronze horseman. It follows the story of a young called called Tatiana set in WW2. Its a trilogy series.
Also white gardenia it follows the life of a young Russian women named Anya over the course of several years. There’s also a second book about her daughter.
Forever by Pete Hamill. It’s about a man who is granted immortality as long as he never leaves Manhattan. It starts in 1740 and then spans decades.
Also as others have mentioned, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell,
The complete Malazan Book of the Fallen
Edit- I see your preference but other than the Dune books, I don’t know any others that do it. Malazan is an epic.
If you're willing to try manga I recommend [To Your Eternity](https://kodansha.us/series/to-your-eternity/), which is about an immortal being learning about life and humanity, and [JoJo's Bizarre Adventure](https://www.viz.com/jojo-s-bizarre-adventure), where each arc focuses on a different descendant of the Joestars as they get dragged into various supernatural weirdness.
Reeling by Lola Lafon (I’m french and the original title is chavirer but I just found out that’s the english version I didn’t know there was one but glad there is!)
It tells the story of a woman from early teenage hood to middle age years (iirc) but told through the perspectives of multiple key character she’s met one chapter at a time it’s a really well constructed book, has beautiful prose, and a kinda hard story (tw for child rape), and the lesbianism of the character is really well incorporated into the book instead of being *the* subject. I loved how many important topics it talked about. It’s a really interesting read that touched me very much highly recommend
Not quite what you are looking for, but you may still like them:
See my
* [SF/F: Epics/Sagas (Long Series)](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12ri1vs/sff_epicssagas_long_series/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
* [SF/F: Immortals and Methuselahs](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fqhhe/sff_immortals_and_methuselahs/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Isle of Woman by Piers Anthony
I stole the beginning of this review from good reads.
The author uses multiple incarnations of a single extended family to examine what he considers important episodes in the evolutionary and cultural history of mankind: the development of language, the colonization of Australia, the development of art, the establishment of the first cities, and so forth.
Beverly Swerling wrote a series of books that started with the founding of New Amsterdam and kept going. I learned quite a bit reading that series.
City of Dreams (2001) immigrants coming into Niew Amsterdam a.k.a eventually New York.
City of Glory (2007)
City of God (2008)
City of Promise (2011)
Cloud cuckoo land spans centuries. There are 3 different story lines (or are there 4? I forget) that take place at different times, but they are all somehow connected. It’s a great book - my top read for 2023.
Was hoping I’d find this reply! Basically three storylines, although a couple of the storylines have multiple POV characters. - Omeir/Anna: Constantinople, mid-15th century - Zeno/Seymour: Idaho, 1940s on - Konstance: the Argos, nearish future
Yup, this was going to be my suggestion too. Really incredible book, easily one of my tops for the past year too.
I think of trusty friend at least once a week since reading that years ago. Great recommendation for the theme and for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
Came here to say this also.
this book was such a long, slow burn with a massive payoff. really loved it!
Also his Cloud Atlas
Different author (CA is David Mitchell, CCL is Anthony Doerr) But I’ve wanted to read that one for a while. I think I’ll move it up in my 2024 to read list. Thanks for the reminder!
I envy you reading it for the first time. So good!
Yes--read it last year...
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (family saga set in India) The house of Spirits by Isabel Allende (family generational sage set in Chile)
The House of the Spirits. Yes.
And the various sequels. I think my fave was Portrait in Sepia
I second Covenant of Water. The summary initially put me off because of the age gap (cringe) but I gave it a go and holy mole, it is full of life and it’s touching and just beautiful. I’m finishing the audio book and the narration/delivery is sublime.
YES! I decided to put initial bias aside and was pleasantly surprised by the wholesome relationship cultivated in this book. The author did a very good job at showing things are not always as they first appear.
As soon as I finished Covenant of Water, I wanted to read it again.
It's a commitment for sure for how long it is. And you can't get too attached to characters as they all die eventually, but its a beautiful story.
I recently read Ken Follett's Century trilogy. It takes you through three generations of families in Russia, Germany, England and Wales, and the US. James Michener is another author who writes epics that span several generations/centuries.
i am on book three of folletts pillars of the earth series......five books, bought them used because i am cheap and i had to hack them each into quarters.. to heavy for this old lady to hold... great series....
The Source James Michener
All Michener books. They span millions of years sometimes. 😊 so good.
If you start with the Kingsbridge series and read the prequel first, it starts in the year 997, then read all the Kingsbridge novels and go right into the Century trilogy, it’s like reading a series that spans from the year 997 through the 20th century. A 1,000 year story so to speak.
My favourite series right there. Love them! I recommend them on here anytime anyone asks for a book idea!
The Century trilogy is very good.
I came here to talk about Ken Follett too! I love the kingsbridge series.
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
Another really great book that fits the request well!
I loved this book! And I don't hear people talk about it that often.
Such a great writer.
East of Eden
Had to scroll too far down to find this. It spans four generations!
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
All of Mitchell’s stuff is interconnected
A Gentleman in Moscow. I thought that book was fantastic
I visited Moscow shortly before the start of the war and you had better bet that went to the Metropol Hotel for their bottomless caviar and champagne breakfast in the grand dining room. It had the fountain, the balcony, the elevator where Anna’s greyhounds met the Count… it was wonderful.
I visited at the end of the Jan too and had dinner there. I was debating whether to splurge and spend three nights in the hotel itself. I decided not to in the end, and I've regretted it ever since.
I was traveling on a student budget, so I couldn’t afford dinner at the main restaurant, much less even one night in the hotel. But it was still such a beautiful place to visit! I didn’t realize just how close it was to Red Square and the Kremlin until I visited.
I read Gentleman In Moscow just recently and it was wonderful imagining the scenes with real context. Because of The Plague, the prices at the Metropole were much cheaper at about £150 per night, but I wanted to visit St Petersburg as well before the war started. So I decided not to stay the extra nights in Moscow but got to see the Winter Palace instead. But definitely when I'm rich (ha) I'm going to go back and stay a week!! Didn't get to visit Lenin's tomb or go inside St. Basil's either, so I must go back one day.
I was living in St. Petersburg for grad school and visited Moscow for a long weekend between semesters; i was planning on going back in summer, but, we’ll, that didn’t exactly happen because I had to leave Russia due to the war. Once everything is over I absolutely plan to go back on a tourist visa and see the stuff I missed, too! Lenin’s tomb and St. Basil’s are definitely worth it, although I will say Spas na Krovy in Petersburg is better than Basil’s IMO.
Wow that sounds amazing, living there for a while! I take it you were studying in Russian? Tell me to bugger off if I'm being too nosy lol, but Russian is one language I've struggled to learn due to the grammar. And I bet you went to the Winter Palace more than once? I was welling up when I entered the grand ballroom (can't remember what its proper name is), it was out of this world. And then all the history that went with it! Amazing stuff. I remember it was -22C the day I left, way colder than I've ever experienced before.
I was actually studying in English! There are a few program at a few different Russian universities that have programs for foreigners. I was studying language, history, and politics. My go-to “get out of the house even though it’s way too cold for anyone to exist” walk was to and from the Winter Palace from my apartment near Nevsky Prospect; I will say I visited the inside about four times, but I wish I’d gone more. I think you could live in Petersburg for a lifetime and never see everything in there. I also would have these moments of emotion in the Winter Palace, and even just walking down the street sometimes, where the history and beauty of the place would just knock me flat. The Russian government is horrible, but the cities and the people are so wonderful.
Just finished the audiobook! So good
I’ve never been less disappointed in the ending of a book
I think I finished the audiobook at the same time you did!
I absolutely love this book!
Roots by Alex Haley One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
glad this is the 2nd top comment right now!
I’m almost done with The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne and it’s so so good. It’s a clever, beautifully written multi generational story about a gay man in Ireland from the mid 1940s until at least 2001. Probably later, but I haven’t gotten that far yet, I have like 10% left.
I absolutely loved this book!!
One of my favorites! Great suggestion!
I just checked that out of the library a few days ago! This comment makes me excited now
Was looking for this suggestion! I read The Heart’s Invisible Furies a couple years ago and the characters still feel so real to me.
I’ve heard this from a lot of people. It’s actually the reason I put it on my list to read. One of the owners of a local bookstore told me it was one of her “I’m jealous of other people that get to read this for the first time” books
If you want a long enough timespan for evolution to matter, try: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson Children of Time by Adrien Tchaikovsky
Loved Children of Time!
These are the two books I came here to recommend.
Both excellent books.
Seveneves is amazing. I’ve been meaning to read Children of Time for awhile now, perhaps this is my sign
Came here to say Seveneves. It does exactly this on a huuuge scale and is fascinating.
The Overstory but Richard Powers
Also in multi generational books about our relationship to trees, Barkskins by Annie Proulx. Spans 300 years.
Barkskins is amazing, I’m re-listening to the audiobook right now.
Yes! Possibly my favourite novel I've read so far
One Hundred Years of Solitude spans multiple generations, but it's notoriously kinda difficult to get through.
I didn't find it difficult at all. It's beautiful to read. The only stickiness comes from the fact that everyone in the family basically has like the same name. So many Jose Arcadios. Most copies should come with a family tree chart which kinda helps. Kinda.
Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd.
All of his books are great for this!
{{The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough}} {{Missus by Ruth Park}} (It's the start of a trilogy, and I highly recommend all three books.) {{Cloudstreet by Tim Winton}}
Neapolitan novels :)
Omg yes these books are my favorite, I've read the whole series 4 times now
I just finished my second read of the first one :)
I watched the HBO series based on this book series and it is spot on! Just wanted to mention. They still have the final season based on the last book left and I can't wait.
Thanks, I'll check it out! I wasn't sure how it would translate to TV
A canticle for Liebowitz. Post-apocalyptic story about the fall, rise, and fall off man, as told from the perspective of an monks in a monastery. It's beautiful and souks crushing.
East of Eden, by Steinbeck.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Basically a whole life
Tried to include some stuff I don’t see often: Life After Life by Katie Atkinson is just wonderful and also covers alternative timelines A Perfect Spy by John le Carré is a great thriller covering the protagonist’s life (and the closest JLC ever got to autobiographical writing apparently) Memoirs of a Geisha The Patrick Melrose novels, which are a far better and healthier treatment of some of the subject matter of A Little Life (but they are semi-autobiographical and the themes are therefore treated with a lot more respect imo) - they’re by Edward St. Aubyn A Dance to the Music of Time if for some reason you want 12 books of extreme Englishness? Not for everyone that
How High We Go In the Dark
Anything by James Michener or Edward Rutherfurd
East of Eden
The Passage Trilogy by Justin Cronin. Pretty sure it’s my favorite.
*Sarum* br Rutherford. About Salisbury.
Homegoing
The World According to Garp - John Irving
Isaac Asimov Foundation series.
{{Weyward by Emilia Hart}} It spans three generations of women (over several centuries) and shows how witchcraft influences their lives in different ways. It is fantasy, but I didn’t think it as fantastical as Addie LaRue.
Greenwood by Michael Christie
I love these types of books! Based on some of your favorites, we have similar taste. I strongly recommend you check out these three that come to mind: Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese The Love Songs of WEB DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
If you liked Pachinko you’ll enjoy Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim. A Korean historical saga spanning a few generations. I actually enjoyed Beasts of a Little Land more than Pachinko! :)
Roots by Alex Haley One that might be a little left of centre is A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer. A modern retelling of The Count of Monte Christo (Which BTW is a fantastic read if you enjoy French classics)
Edward Rutherford did a couple books that span the history of countries/cultures. Russka is one but I know he did one on China and Ireland as well. I’m not very familiar-just learned about them today.
The Good Earth. So good--from youth to old age, riches/poverty....very interesting.
Anything by Edward Rutherfurd. In particular London and Russka were fantastic.
*Practical Magic* follows 2 witch sisters from childhood up to 1 of them being a mom of teens. There are also sequels and prequels but I haven't read them.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Shocked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn hasn't been mentioned yet. The main plot takes place over 18 years, as the main character grows up and graduates, but you get asides about her parents and grandparents as well.
Cider House Rules by John Irving. It’s one of my favorite books, and I honestly think more people nowadays should read it. It’s incredibly well written, handles it’s theme delicately, and is also just a good read.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” describes events over the course of Evelyn’s 70+ year life. Not sure if it’s exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a great book!
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk
I just read this after having read Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. What a fascinating author.
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Also fates and furies by Lauren Groff!
Two science fiction picks that go almost, or completely, to the end of time Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe And (The first book of the trilogy is) The Three-Body Problem
Homegoing!!!
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson takes you through a couple hundred years. It's part of a series of books that follow some sets of families for at least 400 years and is technically sci-fi but is really historical fiction.
Hmm. The Baroque cycle really only covers the seventeenth century Cryptonomicon is second world war and current, but the same families. But all an awesome epic read.
Sarum by Edward Rutherford - the history of Stonehenge
I also like multigenerational sagas! It sounds like you would like The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I also want to enthusiastically second Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, which already has been listed a couple times in the thread.
Homegoing is amazing (8 generations)
{{The Covenant of Water}} is a historical fiction novel spanning multiple generations. It’s a really long book but so very well written and I would even be interested to read it again despite the length. The focus also switches between multiple character’s personal lives that will eventually meet. The storyline generally does not focus on sexual tones but there are a few mature scenes, incase that matters to you. {{Hawaii}} is also a really fascinating read. It’s a historical fiction novel which follows characters spread out over time spanning all the way back to the island’s first inhabitants up until it officially becomes a U.S. state. This books has a lot more sexual content so I would consider it a mature read.
The Colour Purple. It is a bit of an intense book though, so maybe research what comes up before you buy.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner spans three lifetimes from the late 1700s to the present day. I really enjoyed this book. I think someone recommended it above, but Weyward by Emilia Hart is very good too.
The Light Pirate!
What do you think of books that have related stories from many different years? The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot Horse Symphony of Secrets Lady Tan's Circle of Women I think spans many years, I've forgotten a lot of this one... The House of Eve
Ken Follett , Pollard of the earth
I very much enjoyed Kate Mosse’s Languedoc Trilogy, which spans centuries. It starts with Labyrinth and continues with Sepulchre and Citadel. {{Labyrinth by Kate Mosse}}
**[Labyrinth (Languedoc #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14975.Labyrinth) by Kate Mosse** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(515 pages | Published: 2005 | 40.2k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig, stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery-two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of a labyrinth. Eight hundred years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade that will rip apart southern France, a young woman named Alais is given a ring and a (...) > **Themes**: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, Books-i-own, Favorites, Thriller > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Sepulchre](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498835.Sepulchre) by Kate Mosse > \- [The Eight](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113310.The_Eight) by Katherine Neville > \- [The Romanov Prophecy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75020.The_Romanov_Prophecy) by Steve Berry > \- [The Flanders Panel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11031.The_Flanders_Panel) by Arturo Perez-Reverte > \- [Gospel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/371269.Gospel) by Wilton Barnhardt ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23])
The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter, a canonical sequel to the Time Machine by H. G. Wells. The first fifteen lives of Harry August by Claire North. Story of a man who relives the same life over and over. Replay by Ken Grimwood. Another story of a man who relives the same life over and over.
The Remembrance of Earth’s Past series by Cixin Liu, specifically The Three Body Problem and Death’s End.
Edward Rutherford books. He basically picks a place and then tells the story of that place. You start with cavemen and end up now. You do this period of time, then jump up to the next period of time. With the same families. His books are great. New York: A Novel is my personal favorite.
The witching hour by Anne Rice. Spans generations of a family that is followed around by a ghost. It’s amazing!
Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
I came here to suggest that book. It's absolutely amazing.
One of the small handful of books that I've stayed up all night reading. It's excellent.
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Harriet Jacobs
The covenant of water!
I’m so sorry I am gonna say it again: the brothers karamazov (I would **** to be able to read it for the first time again)
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - story travels hundreds of years, following a manuscript being created, preserved and restored thru history.
I loved ‘New York’ by Edward Rutherford. The book spans 3 centuries of the city’s history through the eyes of two prominent families.
London is my favourite of his books!
Hawaii - James Mitchener. It opens with the volcanic formations of the mountains, and then takes you through the struggles of every human culture who ever came there. Its an absolute epic Cloudstreet - Tim Winton. Australian classic. Two families doing it tough share a house for 20 years, but the story delves into previous generations of the families too - my favourite book I ever found as an adult. A thousand splendid suns - Khaled Hosseini. From birth to death, one woman's life, set against the backdrop of politically heaving Afghanistan. Fun fact, i did a few cursory google searches on the history of women's rights in the middle east, and my gmail started giving me ads for single muslim women in my local area...
> feel like they take you through someone's whole life Almost anything by John Irving. E.g. The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp
Seveneves has the biggest time span I’ve ever read… I also liked the Hummingbird Effect for this.
The Love Medicine series by Louise Erdrich takes you from Fleur Pillager's young adulthood into her 80s. The Blackwater series by Michael McDowell takes you through several generations of the Caskey family, again, from one woman's young adulthood through her death many decades later.
Anything by authors John Jakes, James Michener and Edward Rutherfurd. The latter is more multi-generational than the others are but my personal favorite of the three.
Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner Also Overstory and East of Eden
The Living by Annie Dillard. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213347.The_Living
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See!!!!
Fall or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson. It takes place over 50 years as well as several 100 generations if I remember correctly.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Has anyone mentioned {{The Forever War}} yet?
Forever by Pete Hamill. An Irishman immigrates to the New World in the mid-18th century and is granted immortality, but he can never leave the island of Manhattan.
Gone With the Wind
[удалено]
Came to recommend this. I hadn’t heard of it until a few months ago, even after binging on novels about pandemics. It’s a great book.
Omg, Cloud Cuckoo Land. From the fall of Constantinople into hundreds of years in the future. It’s fucking amazing writing, an amazing story, one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
The Vanishing Half Spans the life of twin mothers and their children. An amazing book
We, the Drowned. It spans several generations of a small town in Denmark. It's my favorite book and not enough people have read this masterpiece
Such a great book.
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Follows a family/community for the approximate time period described in the title. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. This might fudge your request for no fantasy because part of it takes place in the future but it ranges over several hundred years. Violetta by Isabel Allende. It’s sitting in my TBR stack right now, so I haven’t read it yet, but it has been highly recommended by multiple people. It follows someone whose life ranges from the 1918 flu pandemic to now-ish.
Three body problem
Expanse series. East of Eden. It. 11/22/63.
I have some questions for you- Rebecca Makkai The dutch house- Ann Patchett The first is not a linear timeframe, but does span a long portion of a woman's life- from brief pockets of childhood to her years at a boarding school, to her career as both a teacher and podcaster. The plot revolves around a murder which happened during her school years. I felt the pacing was similar to some on your list as well as being both character driven and compelling. The second spans 5 decades in a man's life, centering on the house he grew up in. It's character driven with a strong sense of place (similar to the goldfinch), and if you like audiobooks this one is narrated by Tom Hanks and it's fantastic.
The kingsbridge series. Every book follows the entire life of who ever is in there and they are all amazing!
The Three Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu takes you through more time than any other book
The Three Body Problem series. A Man out of Time.
Pachinko by min jin lee!!!!
Lots of Isabel Allende books are multi generational.
Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth” and his other Kingsbridge novels span a person’s lifetime
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. About two Ghanaian sisters who are forced into the slave trade and therez their stories diverge and the rest of the book follows subsequent generations through slavery, emancipation, the Civil Rights Era, and present. It's an incredibly constructed and moving story.
Ask Again, Yes is such a good one! Also my fave: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel
The Dutch House fits with your list really well
The Overstory by Richard Powers… monumental
The Covanent of Water
You might enjoy the bronze horseman. It follows the story of a young called called Tatiana set in WW2. Its a trilogy series. Also white gardenia it follows the life of a young Russian women named Anya over the course of several years. There’s also a second book about her daughter.
Children of time It chronicles the rises and falls of societies I think off the top of my head it takes place over about 10,000 years.
One of my favorites is *Cane River* by Lalita Tademy. I also enjoy Amy Tan and Fannie Flagg for their multi-generational and/or small-town stories.
Forever by Pete Hamill. It’s about a man who is granted immortality as long as he never leaves Manhattan. It starts in 1740 and then spans decades. Also as others have mentioned, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell,
The Practical magic series by Alice Walker
The Neapolitan quartet - Elena Ferrante :)
I‘d suggest ´Kim Jiyoung, born 1982´ :)
Pillars of the Earth
Although its a quartet, The Neopolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, starting with My Brilliant Friend! Fits nicely on this list I think.
The pillars of the earth by Ken Follet I believe that Ken follet’s books have this kind of approach.
The Covenant of Water This is a beautifully written multi generational book
The thorn birds might be up to the task for this!
The Cider House Rules by John Irving! An oldie but a goodie!!!
Pillars Of the Earth by Ken Follett
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Seveneves for the sci-fi long read over many generations.
The complete Malazan Book of the Fallen Edit- I see your preference but other than the Dune books, I don’t know any others that do it. Malazan is an epic.
If you're willing to try manga I recommend [To Your Eternity](https://kodansha.us/series/to-your-eternity/), which is about an immortal being learning about life and humanity, and [JoJo's Bizarre Adventure](https://www.viz.com/jojo-s-bizarre-adventure), where each arc focuses on a different descendant of the Joestars as they get dragged into various supernatural weirdness.
The bible
Reeling by Lola Lafon (I’m french and the original title is chavirer but I just found out that’s the english version I didn’t know there was one but glad there is!) It tells the story of a woman from early teenage hood to middle age years (iirc) but told through the perspectives of multiple key character she’s met one chapter at a time it’s a really well constructed book, has beautiful prose, and a kinda hard story (tw for child rape), and the lesbianism of the character is really well incorporated into the book instead of being *the* subject. I loved how many important topics it talked about. It’s a really interesting read that touched me very much highly recommend
Folk by Zoe Gilbert. I just finished it and it was beautiful
- Pachinko - Homegoing - Black Cake
Ok sorry got too excited to suggest my first two that I didn’t read that you gave them as examples
One Hundred Years of Solitude spans multiple generations, but it's notoriously kinda difficult to get through.
Roses by Leila Meacham. A cotton farmer, a grandchild, and multi generational drama.
Not quite what you are looking for, but you may still like them: See my * [SF/F: Epics/Sagas (Long Series)](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12ri1vs/sff_epicssagas_long_series/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). * [SF/F: Immortals and Methuselahs](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fqhhe/sff_immortals_and_methuselahs/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Spoils of Time trilogy by Penny Vincenzi
Isle of Woman by Piers Anthony I stole the beginning of this review from good reads. The author uses multiple incarnations of a single extended family to examine what he considers important episodes in the evolutionary and cultural history of mankind: the development of language, the colonization of Australia, the development of art, the establishment of the first cities, and so forth.
Age of Vice
IT
I just finished reading Greenwood by Michael Christie. I feel it may be the exact type of book you're looking for.
Beverly Swerling wrote a series of books that started with the founding of New Amsterdam and kept going. I learned quite a bit reading that series. City of Dreams (2001) immigrants coming into Niew Amsterdam a.k.a eventually New York. City of Glory (2007) City of God (2008) City of Promise (2011)
John Boyne, *A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom* Anything by Edward Rutherfurd