I'm in a drought and believe that I've read and reread all the good ones out there. I love novels that I lose myself in and complex characters that I can also relate to. Unfortunately my tastes are very particular and I've tried branching out, but really can't stand anything fantasy, mystery, romance, YA, thriller, horror.
Themes I'm drawn to: coming of age/search for meaning, family saga, family and relationship dynamics, aging, overcoming loss and trauma
Favorite authors: Ann Napolitano, Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, Dani Shapiro, Claire Lombardo, Gabrielle Zevin
Most recent books that I loved: Dream State, The Last Romantic, The Dearly Beloved, The Tell: A Memoir (it's not fiction, but aligns with the themes I'm into), Demon Copperhead
by Time_Hat259
12 Comments
Prince of Tides
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Lonesome Dove
The Brothers K (by Duncan not Dostoyevsky)
Wellness (by Nathan Hill)
The Poisonwood Bible
Betty
Like Mother, Like Mother
California Dreamers
Look into Ann Tyler. Especially The Accidental Tourist and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* by Betty Smith
*The Secret of Lost Things* by Sheridan Hay
The book that I can’t stop thinking about lately is [The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176450755).
The premise is that the protagonist lives in a valley. To the east is an identical valley but 20 years in the future. To the west—the same but 20 years in the past. You can apply to visit either valley for closure for example if you want to see your child again before their untimely death or the future to see your grandchildren who will be born after you die.
I think it meets your brief regarding: literary fiction, coming of age, family trauma, focusing on interpersonal relationships, and searching for meaning.
Please note there is off-page implication of rape, and an implied attempted rape (the character ends up not being home) on page.
Crossing to Safety – Wallace Stegner – hits family and friendship dynamics for two couples that are close friends as they get older. Beautiful writing too.
The Razor’s Edge – W Somerset Maugham – hits search for meaning (potentially initiated by war trauma), relationship dynamics, and family dynamics over a period of time. One of my favs!
All the Colors of the Dark is heavy on the multigenerational saga and overcoming trauma. The romance is light, there is a platonic friendship at the heart of the story.
What I Loved by Siri Husvedt (can’t recommend enough), The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, or Play World by Adam Ross.
I think you might enjoy Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels
Fredrik Backman might be a good fit for you.
Strong recommendation for The Good Earth and the two books that follow in the trilogy by Pearl S. Buck. Each book focuses on a different generation of a family in rural China. Among my favorite books.
I’ve been really enjoying “In Memory of Memory” by Maria Stepanova which sounds like it’s right down your alley. In it the narrator seeks to find meaning and order through the leftover belongings of her great aunt who was a bit of a hoarder.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin