Looking a saga early 29th century romance

[ShesNotACowShesAFox]

I’m in the mood for a change. Any books like Atonement that have a stately home style saga romance in the early 20th century? Sorry to be so specific 😂 it’s just that I normally read thrillers and I’ve read so many crap ones lately, if I read another “Trying to shock with a twist” book where the ending is “His wife is the hamster” I think I’ll end up kicking something

Not a romance but my mind went straight away to the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. It follows the same families throughout the 20th century. There's some romance and it's definitely a saga with lots of stately home action as well as really well written stories.

The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy - brilliant

Brideshead Revisited?

Love in A Cold Climate, and its companion novels? Not really sagas, but very similar style.

Definitely The Forsyte Saga (though I never made it beyond the first volume, because spolier reason.)

Or for something completely different, but equally a sweeping romantic saga, The Far Pavilions.

I'm currently reading RF Delderfield and enjoying his writing a lot. Also the Cazalet chronicles often comes up in this sort of thread.

The Forsyte Saga is a great read.

Georgette Heyer books

Brigerton

Lady in Waiting -Lady Glenconner (autobiography)

Not 20th century though.

Oops, sorry.

The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Elisabeth Jane Howard - The Cazalet Chronicles are EXACTLY what you're looking for, I promise! Starting with The Light Years.

Barbara Taylor-Bradford "A Woman of Substance" is set in the early 20th century. There are about five (?) books altogether. Set in Yorkshire.

Although she works in a stately home rather than owns it.

Fortunes of war. There’s an adaptation from the 90s too.

I loved brideshead revisited.

also, thriller but old school, John le carre books.

Mazo de la Roche's Jalna 16 volume series about a Canadian family, the Whiteoaks. It starts in 1854 but goes up to 1954, taking in many of the period's most significant events. It's very involving, with a number of distinctive characters, some of whom you have to allow to grow on you.

Thank you everyone! Never read any of these excited to get started!

2nd the Cazalet Chronicles, and the Mitfords - Love in A Cold Climate / Pursuit of Love etc. Brideshead Revisited and other Evelyn Waugh. Plus - Bright Young Things, Cold Comfort Farm. And I read a wonderful novel about a girl who's mother wrote her letters supposedly from a trip away but was indeed ill in hospital and can't for the life of me remember what it was called. The Bolter. Dance to the Music of Time series. Forsyte Saga. F.Scott Fitzgerald - Tender is the Night and the Great Gatsby. RF Delderfield - The Avenue series, plus To Serve them All My Days. It's probably my favourite period, but revieiwing my Kindle list I MUST NOT BUY any more books for a while 😱

And Flambards!

R F Delderfield, Swann Family Saga

Oh, I loved Renny when I was introduced to him at 15!

I was introduced when I was about 12 or so. I liked Renny (he's very complex) but I had daydreams involving me, Piers and one of the Whiteoaks' many commodious stables or outbuildings. I have no idea why, because he's exactly the sort of macho wally I'd cross the road to avoid in real life. But he's very fanciable 😁

Yes, good choice.

Also, Ford Madox Ford' Parade's End. The TV adaptation, with Benedict Cumberbatch, is also good.

This is a good list

Brideshead Revisited is a must. And also Dance to the Music of Time.

D H Lawrence maybe? Harold Bloom called Women in Love the best novel by a British author in the 20th-century.

Would Henry James qualify? I guess he's more late 19th-century.

Aldous Huxley wrote some superb novels. Chrome Yellow isn't a romance exactly, but it is set in a country house.

Henry Green? Agatha Christie? P. G. Wodehouse?

It's late 19th rather than 20th century, but if you haven't read it, you must try Wilde's Dorian Gray.

EF Benson maybe?

Most of the obvious options have already been mentioned. Some of these below won't entirely fill your brief but think you'll enjoy.

South Riding by Winifred Holtby. Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons.
The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley.

Some modern versions set in the first half of the 20th century: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. The Children's Book by AS Byatt.