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Original poster

Whole life story recommendations

37 replies

Gobolino80 · 11/01/2023 22:15

I've just devoured 'The Romantic' by William Boyd. I absolutely love what I'd describe as 'whole life story' books (not even sure if that's a genre of fiction) which he seems to be so good at. Does anyone have recommendations for books that are similar? I really love family sagas that span centuries too.

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CoolCalmCollected · 31/03/2023 13:11

I am a little late to this thread but Bournville by Jonathan Coe would fit your description. I really enjoyed all the characters.

lurchermummy · 16/01/2023 19:41

Outlander books
Time Travellers Wife
A Suitable Boy
The Hearts Invisible Furies

Anonymouseposter · 16/01/2023 15:53

the time of the potato famine

Anonymouseposter · 16/01/2023 15:53

Cold is the Dawn and the two following books in a trilogy by Charles Egan are excellent. Based on his own family research from trimester of the Irish potato famine forward. In the form of a novel but historically accurate

frustratedacademic · 14/01/2023 15:40

Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger might fit the bill.

abvgd · 14/01/2023 14:52

Elizabeth Stroud's series on Lucy Barton - exploration of a woman's life. Deceptively simple language. One of my favourite discoveries lately
Alexandrian Quartet, Lawrence Durrell - a fascinating story about intertwined lives of a group of expatriates in Egypt around the time of WW2 told through perspectives of different characters, so effectively several "whole life books"
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand - a story of a rebel architect in the early XX century US
The Class, Erich Segal - follows lives of a Harvard University class through decades. Don't know how many times I've reread it.
Various books by Richard Ford
Books by Narine Abragyan, a contemporary Armenian writer. I read them in Russian but I think a few are translated into English (Three Apples Fell from the Sky, some others I think). Multi-generational sagas with elements of magical realism.
A suitable boy, Vikram Seth - a huge multigenerational saga
10 minutes 38 seconds in this strange world, Elif Shafak
Second Pachinko, Any Human Heart and other books by Boyd

harktheherold · 14/01/2023 00:07

JoonT · 13/01/2023 23:25

Edward St Aubyn’s Melrose novels. There are five in total, and they follow the life of a man born into the British aristocracy. He is sexually abused, becomes a drug addict, marries, cheats, has two sons, and then finds a kind of peace and redemption. They are beautifully written, funny, heartbreaking and wise. The characters are interesting and memorable as well.

Or how about Anthony Powell? His Dance to the Music of Time books follow a family. Clive James revered Powell.

I think Ford Maddox Ford wrote a series of novels about a family - Parades End, etc. Not sure though ( I haven’t read them, though I do have the DVD of Parade’s End - the one with Benedict Cumberbatch).

Coincidentally Benedict Cumberbatch also starred in the miniseries on Patrick Melrose (based on St Aubyn's books) which was superb

JoonT · 13/01/2023 23:25

Edward St Aubyn’s Melrose novels. There are five in total, and they follow the life of a man born into the British aristocracy. He is sexually abused, becomes a drug addict, marries, cheats, has two sons, and then finds a kind of peace and redemption. They are beautifully written, funny, heartbreaking and wise. The characters are interesting and memorable as well.

Or how about Anthony Powell? His Dance to the Music of Time books follow a family. Clive James revered Powell.

I think Ford Maddox Ford wrote a series of novels about a family - Parades End, etc. Not sure though ( I haven’t read them, though I do have the DVD of Parade’s End - the one with Benedict Cumberbatch).

theveg · 13/01/2023 14:56

Also love the Smiley trilogy referred to up thread

theveg · 13/01/2023 14:55

The Stone Diaries! yy! Brilliant book.

Also The diviners by Margaret Laurence, another great Canadian female writer

SomersetBrie · 13/01/2023 14:40

As a PP said, my first thought was Stoner. I love a book that follows a character from cradle to grave.
There's also a tiny perfect book called A Whole Life, by Robert Seethaler - can't really get any more "whole lifey" than that.

Original poster
Gobolino80 · 13/01/2023 14:20

Thank you everyone! Some great suggestions

OP posts:
VioletaDelValle · 13/01/2023 11:02

I second Violeta ( hence my username!!) I loved it.

Also pachinko and hearts invisible furies

highlandcoo · 13/01/2023 10:59

YY to the Cazalet Chronicles and how about Jane Smiley's Last Hundred years trilogy?
I agree that East of Eden is great.
And if you like Edwardian literature,I recommend The Old Wives Tale by Arnold Bennett.

Mercurial123 · 13/01/2023 08:16

The Cairo Trilogy is one of my favourite books. Have read it three times.

East of Eden, it's so much better than the film.

Mercurial123 · 13/01/2023 04:53

There's the Chinese classic Story of the Stone. About a wealthy family and their eventual downfall.

berrypop · 12/01/2023 22:27

The Rose trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly is a multi-generational saga. I read it years ago and really enjoyed it

Elsanore · 12/01/2023 22:22

Elizabeth Strout is brilliant and there are now 4 novels in the Lucy Barton series, all excellent. All 4 track Lucy's life. Strouts other novels overlap some characters too, all excellent.

HelloViroids · 12/01/2023 22:19

The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

Howeverdoyouneedme · 12/01/2023 22:19

I’ve just finished Hearts Invisible Furies, so was going to suggest that…
The new Ian McEwan.
or, Coming Home by Rosemary Pilcher.

VittysCardigan · 12/01/2023 22:18

*are

VittysCardigan · 12/01/2023 22:17

I second Pachinko. The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard is supposed to be very good.

WhereIsMyRollingPin · 12/01/2023 22:16

Tattiepants you beat me to it. Diary of an Ordinary Woman is one of my favourite Margaret Forster books, I've read it three times. Her Shadow Baby might also fit the bill OP.

harktheherold · 12/01/2023 22:10

Love in the time of cholera

Elsanore · 12/01/2023 22:06

Violetta by Isabel Allende is a brilliant novel covering a whole life story. Based on her real mum.

Also agree Stoner and Middlesex. Also Kristen Hannah has a few. The Great Alone is a good one.

Demon Copperhead- new one by Barbara Kingsolver based on David Copperfield. Can't put it down.