Just finished the Cazalet novels by Elizabeth Jane Howard, feeling lost

[travellinghopefully12]

I actually feel really sad and at a loss without them. I loved them so much.

What can I read now? What is similar? I've never read a series before, and have been reading these since Feb, and was hooked. It's such an empty feeling.

I remember the tv adaptation. They completely misrepresented the Rachel - Sid relationship, and it annoyed me so much.

I'm on book 3, and slowing down so I don't finish the series too quickly. I'm really enjoying them.

Really Clawdy? What did they do to Rachel and Sid? I can imagine them not coping very well with either the ambiguity of Rachel's perspective or the greater clarity in Casting Off?

I hated the TV adaptation from the off, and turned off after about 10?minutes when they were doing some kind of scary music for Edward coming up the stairs to say goodnight to Louise. I thought the sets were beyond perfect, but they hadn't managed to solve the 'problem' of such intense emotional description and pages of interior monologue except by people looking intensely at each other to no great effect. I also found that in my head all the dialogue was in a less posh accent, but the more accurate and more cut glass accents in the TV series were very off-putting to me.

I felt that Howard left the story of Louise and her son hanging a bit... what do you suppose happened (or might have happened if Howard had addressed it) to Louise and Sebastian?

annandale there was a scene where a grinning Sid makes a move on Rachel, who is in bed, and Rachel looks horrified. Nothing like the lovely subtle relationship portrayed in the book. I seem to remember a heartbreaking scene in the book where Rachel is poorly, and Sid holds her all night, knowing that is as close as she will ever be physically, ever.

I loved the Cazalets and have read all of them many times. Hated th TV series though didn't watch it past the first episode. I have also read all of Penny Vincenzi and have just started reading them again from the beginning (Old Sins is the first one). The last couple have been a little disappointing but the early ones and the Spoils of Time trilogy were great. I need to try the Elena Ferrante again - I just couldn't get into it

I think it would be impossible to film. Anyone hear the radio version? I didn't but imagine that would be more possible but would have to be severely abridged. And that's what makes the books compelling. The length. The episodes from all the characters, children, adults, outsiders, servants. Sometimes just one person and other times a group. Also, a character in "the present" and then remembering and revealing what's happened in the interim, since we last heard from them.

I think Louise was going to lose Sebastian. I felt that it would be very hard for Louise to reconstruct their relationship on one half day a week, with Michael and his horrible parents otherwise doing full time propaganda on him. I also thought it seemed very likely that Louise would marry again, probably quite quickly.

tobee - the radio version is wonderful, and there's hours and hours of it, which is great.

It has huge omissions - Nora, Jessica, Raymond, Simon and Teddy are completely excised from it - but it's so well done, and it stays so true to the spirit of the girls that you find yourself not really minding!

I found some of Margaret Dickinson's books a really good read, in a similar vein- 'The Other Side of Paradise', 'The Little Ship' and 'Boat Girls' we're all good.

Susan Howatch's big family saga books are good - Cashelmara, Penmarric, wheel of fortune. They are based in the 19th/20th century but take their inspiration from historic dynasties such as the plantagenets.

Persephone publishing have lots of good books about families and women - Dorothy Whipple is a partcular favourite

Tobee, I completely agree with you. And I agree the Forsyte Saga would be a good follow-up, although IMHO the last three books in the long series tail off in a disappointing way.

Ohh another recommendation for Spoils of Time.

I love a good family saga, I might start that one again

You could try AS Byatt's 'Frederica Quartet', starting with The Virgin in the Garden.

Another vote for Elena Ferrante for a bit of a change of scene but still great saga. Read sword of honour series years ago and remember really enjoying it.