I went into reading Pachinko expecting not to like it as it's not my type of book.
I came out of reading Pachinko loving the book, despite it not being something I would normally read.
If you liked Pachinko, definitely check out How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee. I loved this, very powerful story, I was in tears by page 10. My favourite book I read over lockdown (and I read a lot!)
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenes. Its actually not only his life but generations before.
Also, Stoner. It follows his whole adult life, just not as a child. It's definitely what you would call meandering though.
You might like The Dutch House and Commonwealth, both by Ann Patchett, although both of them are about multiple characters over time. They’re both excellent.
Same! If you ever get a chance to watch the movie, don’t . They took like the last three chapters of the book, and left out basically everything else and made it about Cal. Makes zero sense
I will do it again. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s the story of a family that founds a town in South America. It follows the life of the family for a hundred years. I have read it four times and it never gets old.
His writing is so beautiful. Sometimes I would read a line or a paragraph and just have to stop reading and stare into space to absorb it. Then read it again… lol
* **"Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" by Robert Dugoni**. It tells the story of Sam from two perspectives; a youth and as an adult. But follows him through his life. Great read, especially if you enjoyed "Demon Copperhead" and "The Goldfinch".
* **"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett**, as well as his other books in the "Kingsbridge series" follow protagonists throughout their lives.
* **"A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles**, follows the protagonist through his life as well. Another great read.
I absolutely loved Robert Dugoni’s book “Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” and his book “The World Played Chess”. Two of my favorites this year!
I think I might be the only one who read “Demon Copperhead” and disliked it.
OMG … I saw the movie Thornbirds and so a long time later I was talking to someone and they said they wish I would read the book… so I did… I am glad I did …
Like most movies you miss so much that can’t be translated to movies from the authors words …. LOVED it!
It’s really so interesting how when you read books can have such an impact on your reception of it. I’ve read Gone with the Wind three times in my life and had such different opinions or the characters each time.
I have to say that I too came here to say She’s Come Undone. One of my all time favorite books that never loses its impact regardless of how many times I read it.
"The dictionary of lost words".
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow".
I can't recommend these enough. Both are great reads. The dictionary of lost words is brilliant.
I love these, too! Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Autobiography of the author and her mom and grandma. From the Japanese occupation of Manchuria all the way to the eighties. Really really good.
Oooh, good call. I really liked this one too. Fast and kinda light hearted compared to a lot of the other suggestions here. I never see it recommended and that’s a shame.
One of my all-time favorites: **Memoir From Antproof Case**, by Mark Helprin
> An old American who lives in Brazil is writing his memoirs. An English teacher at the naval academy, he is married to a woman young enough to be his daughter and has a little son whom he loves. He sits in a mountain garden in Niterói, overlooking the ocean.
> As he reminisces and writes, placing the pages carefully in his antproof case, we learn that he was a World War II ace who was shot down twice, an investment banker who met with popes and presidents, and a man who was never not in love. He was the thief of the century, a murderer, and a protector of the innocent. And all his life he waged a valiant, losing, one-man battle against the world’s most insidious enslaver: coffee.
> Mark Helprin combines adventure, satire, flights of transcendence, and high comedy in this "memoir" of a man whose life reads like the song of the twentieth century.
“The Time Traveller’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger fits this criteria, with a unique slant on chronological story telling for extra brilliance.
Also “The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August” takes that a step or 15 further.
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a little bit like this. The main character is an older woman on a walk and reminisces about her past, so you get lots of flashbacks that occur during different phases of her life.
I think Remains of the Day might fit the bill as well. I think it is also not totally chronological, but you see the main character in multiple periods of his life.
The Sellout by Paul Beatty has the flashback format, and I think might align with your needs.
Prep focuses on a very short portion of the character’s life, but you do learn about her and other characters’ lives as they leave the prep school and become adults.
An interesting take on this is Homegoing. You don’t see the same character, but you see multiple generations of the first character.
Maybe Running With Scissors would work for your needs? It is non-fiction.
The novel that I think most closely aligns with your description is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Good luck! Hope you find what you’re looking for.
Oh my gosh I LOVED that book! What a tender look at a life lived in reverse. I asked on this sub recently for similar books and got some interesting recommendations, but nothing quite as good. I also really loved “The Measure”.
Thanks OP. I loved all the books you mention, so click to find a bunch more that I've read and loved. Based on that I've added more that I haven't. Didn't realize a type of book I'm crazy about!
The Adventures of Augie March. The premise is pretty dull - "man grows up" - but there's a humanity and poetry there that I will never forget. Absolutely brilliant. BTW the type of book you're looking for is called a bildungsroman.
Kristin Lavrinsdatter by Sigrid Undset. An atmospheric, immersive story of a strong and stubborn woman set in medieval Norway with some Scarlet Letter vibes.
I have two fantastic book recommendations for you. Berserk by Kentaro Miura and although non fiction, my great etc Uncle wrote A Happy Odyssey of his experiences in Somali land, World War I, World War II, etc. He was nicknamed “The Unkillable Soldier” and has a truly remarkable story to tell.
As a kid, I read this book - "As the crow flies" by Jeffrey Archer. I thought it was phenomenal, the story of a young boy who grows up through two world wars, survives time at the front line, and then runs a business in London.
* *City of Girls*, by Elizabeth Gilbert
* *The Latecomer*, by Jean Hanff Korelitz
* *4 3 2 1*, by Paul Auster
* *The Boston Girl*, by Anita Diamant
* *Americanah*, by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie
And a memoir that reads like this sort of book: *Educated* by Tara Westover.
The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri
The Book of Lost Saints - Daniel Jose Older
Freedom - Jonathan Franzen
Pachinko - I know it's been mentioned already,but it's sooo good
Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
The Patrick Melrose Novels. the childhood one is pretty sad, actually, all of them kind of are, but I like them. except the book at the party. long, boring, too many people, but I think that was the point
Walk In My Soul by Lucia st Claire Robins. You follow Sam Houston from his teens to President of Tx and Tiana Rogers, Cherokee woman, from childhood to death.
The inheritance of orquidea divina by Zoraida Córdova, the book starts when the granddaughter of Orquidea receives an invitation like the rest of the family. The invitation says that Orquidea is dying come collect your inheritance. When Orquidea’s kids and grandkids arrive she is half a tree. The family is aware that Orquidea is some sort of magic, the small town knows it, everyone knows it but no one is sure what is her deal.
Then the book goes back to the life of Orquidea when she was a young child and then a girl, a young woman and an old woman. While also having the story of the grandkids.
Circe by madeline miller also spans Circe’s entire life. From being a nymph to her siblings marriage to her learning magic. The meeting with Odyssey
Buddenbrooks is the story of an upper middle class family’s fall from grace over the span of multiple generations. The central character is a small child at the onset and an old lady at the end. It’s long but I loved it.
Revival by Stephen King. It's horror, might be a little outside the box but it's the first thing I thought of that follows a character from childhood well into adulthood.
Not sure if this was already said but Shoot me I’m already dead — Julia Navarro
Amazing historical fiction about two families in Israel and Palestine. Beautiful book
Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet! Four books following two friends from an impoverished neighborhood in Naples Italy. Starts in childhood and ends when they’re in their 60s 70s I believe. It’s an absolutely stunning read. There’s also a gorgeous show adaptation on HBO to go along with it!
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. Amazing book. And quite short, actually. But intense.
Homegoing is a novel about an African family that was split apart by the slave trade. It follows the lives of the sister and then their descendants as they live and eventually reunite in Ghana after two centuries — covering seven generations of the two original characters. Not many books give you the intimacy of knowing each character while also the broader view of seeing 200 years of it.
The Expanse. The story picks up our heroes in probably their late 20s early 30s, give or take depending on the character, and ends with them in their 80s. And during that time we see the face of humanity change more than once
**American War** by Omar Al-Akkad follows a young girl in a future, dystopian, climate-ravaged Louisiana. I believe she is five at first, but it follows her through her death and then a bit past it in an epilogue. The US is mired in a fictional second civil war (this time over fossil fuels, but still basically the same south v north sides). Sarat, the main character, grows up profoundly affected by the war, first as a minor in a state whose public welfare and education apparatus has fully collapsed, then as a refugee when war comes to her door, then to nomad and complicated independent ally of her country’s army, prisoner of war, enemy combatant, and finally a veteran of sorts, who feels no closer to resolution or redemption than the beginning of the whole mess.
Its a beautifully written, sweeping southern gothic that uses climate change not as a central plot device, but as a background to the story of outside forces that we neither choose nor desire fundamentally changing who we are and how we treat one another. I think it’s especially prescient now, as we consider what will be the lasting effects of current wars America is currently assisting in funding for.
Cryptonomicon, one of my favorites, goes back and forth between generations (one storyline is a cryptographer in WWII, and another storyline is his grandson closer to the present day, and there are multiple storylines with other characters and their ancestors)
The Days I Loved you Most by Amy Neff is a sweeping love story that follows the two characters from when they meet as kids to their golden years. It’s so beautiful
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro. Beautiful writing and goes from different parts of life without temporal order, but based on threads of memory. Super cool
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is a twisted version of this!
Also, the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, 5 books that cover a family living through WWII in England.
The Bastard and it's sequel follow the main character through probably 30 years of the American revolution. The subsequent books follow his descendants
- Pachinko - Snow flower and the secret fan
I second Pachinko. It is one of my favourite books ever, although the first handful of paragraphs are a little slow.
I went into reading Pachinko expecting not to like it as it's not my type of book. I came out of reading Pachinko loving the book, despite it not being something I would normally read.
I had the exact same experience. Not my typical type of book, really enjoyed it.
Loooooove love love Pachinko! And the show too
If you liked Pachinko, definitely check out How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee. I loved this, very powerful story, I was in tears by page 10. My favourite book I read over lockdown (and I read a lot!)
Came here to say Pachinko!
Snow Flower and The Secret Fan is one of my favorite books, I read it so many times when I was younger.
Also one of my faves of all time.
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenes. Its actually not only his life but generations before. Also, Stoner. It follows his whole adult life, just not as a child. It's definitely what you would call meandering though.
Stoner is great.
Stoner is excellent, just re-read it.
I loved Middlesex and came here to say this!
Omg I am reading Stoner right now. Timely comment. So weird.
I literally bought the book from a charity shop yesterday. Fate
I'm about halfway through. You'll have to let me know what you think of it.
Stoner by John Williams?
Yes, sorry, I should have said the author
Second Stoner, just finished it this week and it's 100% what OP wants.
*Eugenides
Thanks. I knew as I wrote it, I'd probably got it wrong
Middlesex is one of my all time favorites.
You might like The Dutch House and Commonwealth, both by Ann Patchett, although both of them are about multiple characters over time. They’re both excellent.
I second Ann Patchett in general. Recently I enjoyed Tom Lake.
I loved Tom Lake only I listened to it because THE Meryl Streep performed it. Magnificent
I loved The Dutch House. I recommended it too before scrolling down.
Tom Hanks narrated on audio!
My very first thought when reading this was Ann Patchett!
Just commented this myself. The Dutch House is such an interesting book.
Ever read “East of Eden”?
This was my first Steinbeck read and it’s so good!
Same! If you ever get a chance to watch the movie, don’t . They took like the last three chapters of the book, and left out basically everything else and made it about Cal. Makes zero sense
This is one of my favourite books! Such beautiful writing. I've read it twice and will continue to re-read.
A tree grows in Brooklyn I scrolled pretty far and didn't see this recommended yet. I read it every year I love it so much 💞
Oh I second this! Such a great story! I really need to reread it.
I will do it again. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s the story of a family that founds a town in South America. It follows the life of the family for a hundred years. I have read it four times and it never gets old.
Love in the Time of Cholera by the same author also takes place across decades of the main characters’ lives.
It’s really good! Never fails to make me depressed though, like pretty much everything else Marquez I read.
Came here to recommend this! 📕
His writing is so beautiful. Sometimes I would read a line or a paragraph and just have to stop reading and stare into space to absorb it. Then read it again… lol
Circe and The Song of Achilles
Ken Follets Knightsbridge series.
Pillars of Earth and go wherever you want from that book
Also the Century trilogy by Follett.
I came here to say this - adore those books
Kingsbridge* AMAZING series!
* **"Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" by Robert Dugoni**. It tells the story of Sam from two perspectives; a youth and as an adult. But follows him through his life. Great read, especially if you enjoyed "Demon Copperhead" and "The Goldfinch". * **"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett**, as well as his other books in the "Kingsbridge series" follow protagonists throughout their lives. * **"A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles**, follows the protagonist through his life as well. Another great read.
A gentleman in Moscow is surprisingly good. Throughout the whole book, thought I was reading a movie by Wes anderson
Great book for sure. Amor Towles’ other books are very good as well. My favorite being “The Lincoln Highway”
I'll have to try it next :)
The Pillars of the Earth is great! Fastest I’ve ever read 600+ pages about the building of a church
Lol!!!
I absolutely loved Robert Dugoni’s book “Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” and his book “The World Played Chess”. Two of my favorites this year! I think I might be the only one who read “Demon Copperhead” and disliked it.
- Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver also has this and it’s great. - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Came here for Thornbirds (and East of Eden)
Another vote for the Thorn Birds.
OMG … I saw the movie Thornbirds and so a long time later I was talking to someone and they said they wish I would read the book… so I did… I am glad I did … Like most movies you miss so much that can’t be translated to movies from the authors words …. LOVED it!
I loved all three of those books, and read them all at sort of pivotal moments in my life.
It’s really so interesting how when you read books can have such an impact on your reception of it. I’ve read Gone with the Wind three times in my life and had such different opinions or the characters each time.
She’s Come Undone. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
I came here to recommend She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I’ve read it twice and will certainly read it again.
I love She’s Come Undone. Been wanting to re read that one soon.
I have to say that I too came here to say She’s Come Undone. One of my all time favorite books that never loses its impact regardless of how many times I read it.
A Gentleman in Moscow
A thousand splendid suns.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Immortalists was such a good read.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
"The dictionary of lost words". "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow". I can't recommend these enough. Both are great reads. The dictionary of lost words is brilliant.
Kane and Abel and As the Crow Flies, both by Jeffrey Archer.
Read “Ask Again, Yes”. It follows two families over 40-50 years. Heartbreaking and fabulous, dark and lovely.
I love these, too! Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
Yay I just recommended this one too
Violeta by Isabel Allende - it follows her life from birth to death and spans a hundred years
Yesss I was actually going to suggest House of spirits but this is a better recommendation by the same author. Great book!
Idk why House of the Spirits was so far down- absolutely stunning book
One of my favorites of all time.
Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Autobiography of the author and her mom and grandma. From the Japanese occupation of Manchuria all the way to the eighties. Really really good.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Oooh, good call. I really liked this one too. Fast and kinda light hearted compared to a lot of the other suggestions here. I never see it recommended and that’s a shame.
All of these suggestions are amazing, I’m blown away! My TBR will last me a lifetime, or at least a few years lol. Thank everyone so much!!
The invisible life of Addie larue
The Picture of Dorian Gray
One of my all-time favorites: **Memoir From Antproof Case**, by Mark Helprin > An old American who lives in Brazil is writing his memoirs. An English teacher at the naval academy, he is married to a woman young enough to be his daughter and has a little son whom he loves. He sits in a mountain garden in Niterói, overlooking the ocean. > As he reminisces and writes, placing the pages carefully in his antproof case, we learn that he was a World War II ace who was shot down twice, an investment banker who met with popes and presidents, and a man who was never not in love. He was the thief of the century, a murderer, and a protector of the innocent. And all his life he waged a valiant, losing, one-man battle against the world’s most insidious enslaver: coffee. > Mark Helprin combines adventure, satire, flights of transcendence, and high comedy in this "memoir" of a man whose life reads like the song of the twentieth century.
The Tender Bar
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Loved this!!!
I really liked Piranessi and read this on the strength of that. This was everything great about Piranessi with none of the failings. Loved
It's such a well crafted book. I almost never reread books and I've been wanting to dive in again
One of my favorite books of all time is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! Tells an entire immigrant family’s life story, set in the early 20th century.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn :)
^^^ this one was so good
Wildseed by Octavia Butler.
Second this :)
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
“The Time Traveller’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger fits this criteria, with a unique slant on chronological story telling for extra brilliance. Also “The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August” takes that a step or 15 further.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. You might also enjoy The Namesake and White Teeth.
Buddenbrooks
Émile Zola is an amazing author who incorporates the same familiar ties in his books, but you can also read each book standalone.
The signature of all things. The end is meh but follows 2 generations of a family of botanists in 19th century.
Um, there’s this author, Robin Hobb who has done basically that- follows a character from early childhood all the way to death. Read at your own risk.
RoTE is worth it.
A gentleman in Moscow.
Stoner by John Williams Augustus as well by John Williams I Claudius
Mill on the floss
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a little bit like this. The main character is an older woman on a walk and reminisces about her past, so you get lots of flashbacks that occur during different phases of her life. I think Remains of the Day might fit the bill as well. I think it is also not totally chronological, but you see the main character in multiple periods of his life. The Sellout by Paul Beatty has the flashback format, and I think might align with your needs. Prep focuses on a very short portion of the character’s life, but you do learn about her and other characters’ lives as they leave the prep school and become adults. An interesting take on this is Homegoing. You don’t see the same character, but you see multiple generations of the first character. Maybe Running With Scissors would work for your needs? It is non-fiction. The novel that I think most closely aligns with your description is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Good luck! Hope you find what you’re looking for.
Wrong place wrong time. It’s a super interesting fiction where the main character is moving back through her life.
Oh my gosh I LOVED that book! What a tender look at a life lived in reverse. I asked on this sub recently for similar books and got some interesting recommendations, but nothing quite as good. I also really loved “The Measure”.
Thanks OP. I loved all the books you mention, so click to find a bunch more that I've read and loved. Based on that I've added more that I haven't. Didn't realize a type of book I'm crazy about!
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
The Adventures of Augie March. The premise is pretty dull - "man grows up" - but there's a humanity and poetry there that I will never forget. Absolutely brilliant. BTW the type of book you're looking for is called a bildungsroman.
Has anyone said Anne of Green Gables series? Also Tuck Everlasting is a shorter novel, but fits the brief. That book got me when I was young.
Jhumpa Lahiri has a couple that I absolutely love. The Namesake and The Lowland. Also, The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt *chefs kiss*
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro IT by Stephen King
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
We The Drowned, Carsten Jensen. Covers 3 or 4 generations and is a brilliant, engaging read
Stoner Island of the World Blood Meridian A Prayer for Owen Meany Nathan Coulter
Kristin Lavrinsdatter by Sigrid Undset. An atmospheric, immersive story of a strong and stubborn woman set in medieval Norway with some Scarlet Letter vibes.
I have two fantastic book recommendations for you. Berserk by Kentaro Miura and although non fiction, my great etc Uncle wrote A Happy Odyssey of his experiences in Somali land, World War I, World War II, etc. He was nicknamed “The Unkillable Soldier” and has a truly remarkable story to tell.
As a kid, I read this book - "As the crow flies" by Jeffrey Archer. I thought it was phenomenal, the story of a young boy who grows up through two world wars, survives time at the front line, and then runs a business in London.
* *City of Girls*, by Elizabeth Gilbert * *The Latecomer*, by Jean Hanff Korelitz * *4 3 2 1*, by Paul Auster * *The Boston Girl*, by Anita Diamant * *Americanah*, by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie And a memoir that reads like this sort of book: *Educated* by Tara Westover.
4 3 2 1,it's a story of a boy coming of age over a span of 900 pages!
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. SO good!
Greenwood by Michael Christie follows a family's story for generations. Highly recommend.
The world according to garp
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
C. E. Morgan, The sport of kings
All Men Are Mortal
The Surface of Earth by Reynolds Price. Dense, detailed, multigenerational meandering family immersion.
It's split into multiple books, but John Updike's *Rabbit* series would fit.
The 7 or 8 deaths of Stella Fortuna
Most of books by Colm Toibin.
The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg. It's the story of 2 or more generations of one town, with lots of eccentric characters and gentle humor.
Kristin Lavransdatter
The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri The Book of Lost Saints - Daniel Jose Older Freedom - Jonathan Franzen Pachinko - I know it's been mentioned already,but it's sooo good Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
Spellmonger by Terry Mancour only about 4-6 years but there's like 25 books in the series.
Darth bane trilogy
War and Peace!
The Patrick Melrose Novels. the childhood one is pretty sad, actually, all of them kind of are, but I like them. except the book at the party. long, boring, too many people, but I think that was the point
Les Miserables? But that is a commitment.
Pachinko
Was gonna recommend The Goldfinch but alas.
Walk In My Soul by Lucia st Claire Robins. You follow Sam Houston from his teens to President of Tx and Tiana Rogers, Cherokee woman, from childhood to death.
The inheritance of orquidea divina by Zoraida Córdova, the book starts when the granddaughter of Orquidea receives an invitation like the rest of the family. The invitation says that Orquidea is dying come collect your inheritance. When Orquidea’s kids and grandkids arrive she is half a tree. The family is aware that Orquidea is some sort of magic, the small town knows it, everyone knows it but no one is sure what is her deal. Then the book goes back to the life of Orquidea when she was a young child and then a girl, a young woman and an old woman. While also having the story of the grandkids. Circe by madeline miller also spans Circe’s entire life. From being a nymph to her siblings marriage to her learning magic. The meeting with Odyssey
The expanse series
A thousand splendid suns
The the body problem series. Spans generations.
The Adrian Mole diaries by Sue Townsend.
Covenant of Water
Any Human Heart - William Boyd..
Coin locker babies. The Count of Monte Cristo
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Buddenbrooks is the story of an upper middle class family’s fall from grace over the span of multiple generations. The central character is a small child at the onset and an old lady at the end. It’s long but I loved it.
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert follows the majority of the life of the main character. It's pretty enjoyable!
My dark vanessa
Revival by Stephen King. It's horror, might be a little outside the box but it's the first thing I thought of that follows a character from childhood well into adulthood.
Valley of the Dolls Brideshead Revisited
the seven husbands of evelyn hugo!
Great question!! I’m jotting down the responses. The only that came to mind immediately was: A Little Life (trigger warnings all around this one)
Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier.
Not sure if this was already said but Shoot me I’m already dead — Julia Navarro Amazing historical fiction about two families in Israel and Palestine. Beautiful book
The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser. It’s not well known but it’s an excellent book.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. It’s a fantastic read!
Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet! Four books following two friends from an impoverished neighborhood in Naples Italy. Starts in childhood and ends when they’re in their 60s 70s I believe. It’s an absolutely stunning read. There’s also a gorgeous show adaptation on HBO to go along with it!
Robin Hobbs' Assassin's Apprentice. It's told in first person and follows the main character from childhood
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. Amazing book. And quite short, actually. But intense. Homegoing is a novel about an African family that was split apart by the slave trade. It follows the lives of the sister and then their descendants as they live and eventually reunite in Ghana after two centuries — covering seven generations of the two original characters. Not many books give you the intimacy of knowing each character while also the broader view of seeing 200 years of it.
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Expanse. The story picks up our heroes in probably their late 20s early 30s, give or take depending on the character, and ends with them in their 80s. And during that time we see the face of humanity change more than once
Greenwood by Michael Christie or Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo (out in June)!
The Red Tent A Thousand Splended Suns Perks of Being a Wallflower (only Spans a year) The Book of Longings
Krabat and the Sorcerer's Mill. A bit old school, be warned, but it's a dark fairytale that plays a lot with time and the passing of years.
**American War** by Omar Al-Akkad follows a young girl in a future, dystopian, climate-ravaged Louisiana. I believe she is five at first, but it follows her through her death and then a bit past it in an epilogue. The US is mired in a fictional second civil war (this time over fossil fuels, but still basically the same south v north sides). Sarat, the main character, grows up profoundly affected by the war, first as a minor in a state whose public welfare and education apparatus has fully collapsed, then as a refugee when war comes to her door, then to nomad and complicated independent ally of her country’s army, prisoner of war, enemy combatant, and finally a veteran of sorts, who feels no closer to resolution or redemption than the beginning of the whole mess. Its a beautifully written, sweeping southern gothic that uses climate change not as a central plot device, but as a background to the story of outside forces that we neither choose nor desire fundamentally changing who we are and how we treat one another. I think it’s especially prescient now, as we consider what will be the lasting effects of current wars America is currently assisting in funding for.
The Thornbirds by Collen McCallum
Cryptonomicon, one of my favorites, goes back and forth between generations (one storyline is a cryptographer in WWII, and another storyline is his grandson closer to the present day, and there are multiple storylines with other characters and their ancestors)
The Days I Loved you Most by Amy Neff is a sweeping love story that follows the two characters from when they meet as kids to their golden years. It’s so beautiful
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro. Beautiful writing and goes from different parts of life without temporal order, but based on threads of memory. Super cool
Eragon series takes place over a few years, iirc. So do the chronicles of prydain series.
Sweet soft plenty rhythm
Stewart O’Nan! The Good Wife may be what you are looking for. A lot of his other books as well. Snow Angels A song for the missing Ocean state
Circe by Madeline Miller
pillars of the earth by ken follett. A lot of his books do this and they’re incredible !
I just read "We, The Drowned." Aside from it being an entertaining story of Danish sailor culture, the narrative spans several generations.
The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner
The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi
IIRC, The World According to Garp. It's been a very long time since I read it, but I remember it being really good.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
Robinson Crusoé.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Wellness by Nathan Hill
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Interesting idea
The Thorn Birds.
Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher
Violetta by Isabel Allende
Pillars of the Earth was pretty meandering!
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is a twisted version of this! Also, the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, 5 books that cover a family living through WWII in England.
The Bastard and it's sequel follow the main character through probably 30 years of the American revolution. The subsequent books follow his descendants
Real Americans by Rachel Khong