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Original poster

Can somebody recommend me an epic?

170 replies

WhistlersandJugglers · 15/03/2021 20:42

Hi, I'm in Ireland where the libraries have been closed all year and there is no sign of them opening any time soon. I want to buy a few long books to keep me going. I like family saga type books like Brick Lane, The Poisonwood Bible, Cutting for Stone, A Suitable Boy, Half of a Yellow Sun. If anybody has a suggestion I'd really appreciate it.

OP posts:
Allington · 15/03/2021 21:53

Oh, and love The Count of Monte Christo. Definitely epic!

Also Middlemarch, the Anthony Trollope Barsetshire series and Palliser series, War and Peace/Anna Karenina.

LunaNorth · 15/03/2021 21:53

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.
The Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel.

Mixed reviews on MN but I loved them.

Ahmose · 15/03/2021 21:52

Forever Amber
Cazalet Chronicles
Wolf Hall trilogy
Shogun (forget the crappy Richard Chamberlain mini series, this book is epic and fascinating)
Shardlake series

Allington · 15/03/2021 21:51

Olivia Manning - the Balkan Trilogy and the Levant Trilogy. Wartime new wife living in (as you would expect!) in Romania then Greece, then Egypt and the Middle East. Husband has non military, not especially senior official roles, and she has to come to terms with the disappointments (and good points) of marriage to someone with all the positives and negatives of their character, plus the many reverses of the first half of the war.

SwimmingOnEggshells · 15/03/2021 21:50

Hi @WhistlersandJugglers! Just noticed your name.

SwimmingOnEggshells · 15/03/2021 21:48

The Count of Monte Cristo. Amazing.

Shantaram

mangoontoast · 15/03/2021 21:43

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

I second Wild Swans.

I didn't t like the Bone Clock, I hadn't realised it was sci fi when I started reading it or u wouldn't have bothered.

VienneseWhirligig · 15/03/2021 21:41

Any of Kate Morton's books but particularly The Lake House, The Distant Hours and The House At Riverton.

WithIcePlease · 15/03/2021 21:40

A big read with plenty of story is The Son by Philip Meyer. It made me cry which is very rare

Needsomethingtoread · 15/03/2021 21:38

I’ve just purchased the shardlake series. Supposed to be good

mumwon · 15/03/2021 21:34

Czardas by Diane Pearson
About a aristocratic & part Jewish family in Hungary in the early 20th century to the 1950's especially through ww2 & the communist take over
a beautiful tragic & satisfying (makes sense?) book
Be prepared its a long book & compelling enough to ruin sleep (because you won't want to put it down - I must get my hands on another copy!!)

TH22 · 15/03/2021 21:28

The Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly

minty133 · 15/03/2021 21:26

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It's at epic alright. Beautifully written and so engrossing.

Shosha1 · 15/03/2021 21:24

Love the Outlander books. Series is great, but the books so much better. Number 9 is due soon.

Roonerspismed · 15/03/2021 21:21

Following.

I really liked the outlander books up to about number five. Epic if a little trashy

dun1urkin · 15/03/2021 21:20

War and Peace is an epic family saga, and will keep you going for a bit. I loved it.
Also Midnights Children. I loved that, too

justanotherneighinparadise · 15/03/2021 21:19

Hunger Games trilogy. Dark but brilliantly written.

HopeClearwater · 15/03/2021 21:18

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Earlybird00 · 15/03/2021 21:14

The little friend Donna Tartt - took my some time to read this - loved it

womanity · 15/03/2021 21:13

Try The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz.

Multi-generational family saga in Cairo - i read it straight after A Suitable Boy.

SquitMcJit · 15/03/2021 21:10

I second the Cazalets chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Sooverthemill · 15/03/2021 21:07

Jane Smiley's 'some luck', trilogy is excellent

TheChineseChicken · 15/03/2021 21:04

@WhistlersandJugglers

Hi, I'm in Ireland where the libraries have been closed all year and there is no sign of them opening any time soon. I want to buy a few long books to keep me going. I like family saga type books like Brick Lane, The Poisonwood Bible, Cutting for Stone, A Suitable Boy, Half of a Yellow Sun. If anybody has a suggestion I'd really appreciate it.
The world according to garp by John Irving and Whit by Iain Banks. Both incredible novels
HollowTalk · 15/03/2021 21:02

Jane Smiley: A Thousand Acres is wonderful. Also as a PP recommended, Wild Swans by Jung Chang - it's an autobiographical novel set in China - her grandmother was a concubine, her mother was in the Red Army and Jung Chang was one of the first Chinese women to be educated in the West. It's absolutely fascinating.

WillowSummerSloth · 15/03/2021 20:59

My brilliant friend quartet by Elena Ferrente. Best thing I ever read.