The best family sagas of the 21st century: 10 books you won't get bored of reading

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Family sagas are a slightly open door to other people's lives. Books written in this genre have always been popular, one has only to remember "The Thorn Birds" by Colin McCullough or "The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy. Modern writers also do not ignore this topic, offering narratives about the passage of time within the same family. Sometimes it seems that the author seemed to have spied on the life of the reader himself and now invites him to look from the outside at himself.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya, "Jacob's Ladder"

The author called Jacob's Ladder a parable novel. It contains a hundred-year history of one family, which begins with Yakov Ossetsky and ends with his great-great-grandson, also Yakov. The novel is based on the real story of the family of Lyudmila Ulitskaya, slightly smoothed out and artistically supplemented. And the decision to create a book came to the writer after reading the correspondence of her grandfather and grandmother. Since its release in 2015, there has been a lot of controversy about this book. To some it seems boring because of the large number of letters, someone sees in the work an insufficient elaboration of the characters. But the life of five generations of the family is of undoubted interest.

Matthew Thomas, "We Have No Power over Ourselves"

It would seem that the reader is presented with a completely ordinary story of the life of the average American family. People live, struggle with some difficulties, hope for a happy future. And another real life is postponed for later. And it turns out that it was necessary to live not in the future, but in the present, because an accident or illness can suddenly cross out bright dreams.

Philip Mayer, "Son"

A history of the state of Texas through the lens of three generations of the McCullough family. The author does not try to embellish reality by portraying the characters and destinies of his heroes. Someone may be shocked by too naturalistic details, some readers will be confused by the very peculiar style of writing the saga. However, the work will not leave anyone indifferent. Human flexibility together with inflexibility, the search for your place in life and the awareness of the value of freedom, all this in a fascinating and deep work of Philip Mayer.

Jesse Burton, "The Miniaturist"

The debut work of a young English writer made people talk about themselves even before the book was released. Several publishers fought for the right to publish, and in terms of sales "Miniaturist" became one of the best-selling books in Europe. The novel was immediately credited to the category of intellectuals. Indeed, it turned out to be quite difficult to understand the intricacies of events taking place in 17th century Amsterdam in the family of Johan Brandt.

READ ALSO: 1950 to 2005: Bestseller Books Over the Years >>

Dina Rubina, "Russian Canary"

The main advantage of the Dina Rubina saga is its cinematic quality. The reader does not skim through the lines, but as if he is living through the centuries-old history of the family, becoming a part of it. And having let through the partings, meetings and losses of the heroes of "Russian Canary", he himself begins to relate to life in a different way.

Adriana Trizhiani, "The Shoemaker's Wife"

The family saga of love and fidelity by Adriana Trigiani is comparable to the best examples of the classics of this genre. The heroes of the novel had to go through multiple temptations, learn the bitterness of loss, go through separation, in order to become happy in the end. A fascinating plot, a beautiful style, a colorful description of the beauties of Italy, a life-affirming finale, all this is only part of the merits of the novel "The Shoemaker's Wife".

Victoria Hislop, "Thread"

This is a true love story. But not only about the love of a man and a woman, but about the attitude towards people, towards the history of your family, towards the city in which you live. The story of the life of the main characters, written so elegantly and simply, leaves behind a light aftertaste and makes you think about what is most valuable in this world.

Colum McCann, Transatlantic

It seems that the author was able to combine several genres in one book. It's a family saga, no doubt, but in a bizarre way it's also a detective story, an adventure, and a historical romance. Fictional and real characters, different continents, political intrigues and real feelings coexist quite peacefully on the pages of "TransAtlantic".

Narine Abgaryan, "People who are always with me"

A piercing, tragic and bright saga. This book is not only about several generations of the same family. This is the story of the Armenian people who survived the genocide and managed to preserve their love for the Motherland, their national and family traditions. This saga is a heartfelt ode to memory. And a piercing song about the most important life values: family, homeland, people.

Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman

In fact, this book was written before the bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird, but it did not see the light until 2015, a year before the writer's death. And at the same time, she continues To Kill a Mockingbird. Readers undoubtedly expected more from the continuation of the popular novel, but it is worth reading "Go, Set a Watchman" at least in order to look at the world of Scout, the heroine of the saga, with a different, adult look.

The classics of world literature are always timely and up-to-date. However, today in the literary world there is a whole galaxy of writers who are quite capable of competing with the great writers of the past. Their works allow you to enjoy the excellent language and at the same time make you think about the meaning of life. On the list compiled by the literary critic Lisa Birger, the most worthy authors of our time.