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The thorn birds (do not see the movie, though).

Who is it by, and when was it written? Is it a classic?

Thank you

ooh, will be watching this thread as those are three of my favourite books! Have you tried Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet books?

The fountainhead ayn rand. Epic! ( and very long...)

It's a classic of its era, I guess. Wiki entry.
I am thinking you'd like Wilkie Collins books, too.

I'll check all of these out, and hope for a few more suggestions. Going out this evening, but may bump this later!

Thank you so much!

Not my taste in books if I'm honest, but seems like yours, so what about more on this list?

Oh yes, another one I like is The Moonstone. Read that quite a number of times as well! I tend to get fixated by certain books and seem to love the familiarity of certain favouries . Didn't especially get on with others by Collins though!

How about Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset?

And they aren't classics but Edward Rutherfurd wrote several books that tick most of your boxes- London, Sarum and The Forest are the ones that I have read and reread.

I wonder if you would like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell? It is certainly long...and although a modern book, is set in the past. However it does have a strong fantasy element.

Aside from that, maybe Bleak House?

Have a look at A House for Mr Biswas. VS Naipaul, really long and absorbing. One of my favourite books.

How about something else by Gaskell, or have you tried George Eliot? Her books are lovely - Adam Bede or The Mill on the Floss would be a good place to start although Silas Marner is shorter.

Hi OP, I'm not sure what you mean by too modern - is it that you prefer Victorian writers or you prefer a more traditional narrative style?

I'd suggest David Copperfield if you haven't already read it.

Also Vanity Fair? Hugely long and satisfying but possibly more of a satirical read than you're looking for.

Looking at my book case I thought these might be worth mentioning too, although they were written much more recently:

The House of the Spirits - South American family saga by Isabel Allende with a time span from, I think, turn of the century up to the 1970s.

Life Mask by Emma Donoghue - a group of artists and aristocrats in late C18 London with a lesbian leading character - a great read if slightly anachronistic in places.

I second the Cazalet books....

Ah, lots to look into. Thank you!
Any more ideas gratefully received!

I always recommend this on MN, but there's a reason, and I think it fits for you: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. A stone cold classic, but also a great story.

Similarly, I would put money on you loving A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. The one volume version is very heavy indeed, but it's a classic IMO, full of wonderful characters.

Have you read Middlemarch? You really should, I bet you'd adore it. There's a funny reference to Middlemarch in A Suitable Boy, a bow from one writer of long books to another.

How about the Barchester novels by Trollope - very careful observation of church politics, could be any office politics, really.

Forsyte Saga - John Galsworthy.

I also second the Cazalet books & A Fine Balance.

YY to A Fine Balance and Middlemarch .. much better than George Eliot's shorter novels. I was just about to recommend them but joan got there first!

I'm sure you would love The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett. A great Edwardian novelist who deserves to be more widely read. I like the same sorts of books as you and it's one of my favourites.

As for more modern writers, I agree that The Cazalet Chronicles are a lovely absorbing read, and you could also look at Sarah Waters' novels especially Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet. One more suggestion - The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. TV series was watchable but as usual the book is better.

Gone with the Wind is my all-time favourite also. Have you ever read A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute? It's an epic love story set during WW2 so similar in a way to GWTW. I'm just about to start the second Cazalet book so obviously have the same taste as a lot of the previous posters.

I think you might like George Gissing. Anything by him.

South Riding by Winifred Holtby, Mariana by Monica Dickens, There's a new Cazalet chronicle out as well! Also (whispers) I enjoyed the Lytton trilogy by Penny Vincenzi - a sort of sub Cazalet chronicles. First one is No Angel. Not great literature but good escapist stuff!

Have you read any of Elizabeth Gaskell's other books? Mary Barton? North and South? How about George Eliot?