My favorite books are Gone with the Wind, East of Eden. I've also enjoyed this about 100 years of Solitude, Wuthering Heights. What do they have in common – especially the first two – they are characterizing not just a set of characters in a given time, but also a "zoomed out" view: a grand narrative about a given generation, or several generations, and about a given family / town / society.
This is beautiful and deeply immersive to me, because no character exists in a vacuum. I tend to be anxious / analytical, and having this sort of characterization goes a long way to help me get immersed. On the other hand, it was hard to start Count of Monte Christo, because I am already expected to understand the realities.
Ultimately this is not about "birth of a town", more as it is about an author going to the length of characterizing the deep societal & generational context of the character. Do you have any recommendations?
by Eheheehhheeehh