Book recommendations - multiple narrators/set against a large political backdrop

[Kai1977]

Hello

I'm looking for two types of books (mainly because I love reading, but also because I'm in the process of writing my first novel and want to get some idea of how to tackle things). Can you recommend any great books that fall into these categories please?

1. Books with multiple narrators, for example, Half of a Yellow Sun

2. Books set against a vast political landscape (UK or abroad), for example, Midnight's Children?

Ideally literary fiction but happy with well written genre fiction too.

Thanks!

How about stone's fall by Ian pears? Fulfills both I think....

Lots and lots and lots of narrators: Louise Edrich's Love Medicine

HUGE political backdrop: In the Eye of the Sun by Ahdaf Soueif.

Both brilliant, imho!

Susan Howatch: Wheel of Fortune, Penmarric, Cashelmara. Sins of the Fathers, The Rich are Different

Multiple narrators AND a big political landscape in every story.

I'd second The English Passengers by Matthew Kneale - it doesn't get mentioned very often these days because he hasn't really lived up to his early promise but it's an immensely entertaining book.

Would also second ghostwritten.

Perhaps the Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst. Set in the 19880s, very strong Conservative backdrop, early days of Aids. Great read.

I've just finished The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell and loved it. Much preferred it to Cloud Atlas for some reason.

You could try Maggie Gee's The Flood - multiple viewpoint and environmental/political.

Full disclosure - I know Maggie and she's lovely. But would still recommend it if I didn't

Another vote for Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible: utterly brilliant.
And also by her, The Lacuna, written as a series of notebooks with 'extras' such as newspaper reports and notes by an archivist who becomes, herself, a character with a highly individual voice. A huge sweeping story set against the backdrop of revolutionary Mexico and then McCarthyite America. Highly recommended.

Quicksilver and the rest of the Baroque Trilogy by Neal Stephenson. Includes all ofEuropean history and politics from 1650-1750, with narrators including Leibniz, Newton, Sophia of Hannover, etc.

Also seconding Poisonwood Bible and Glass Palace and others by Amritav Ghosh.

Snow by orhan pamuk