Literature or cinema that takes one through the decades
February 1, 2010 3:32 PM Subscribe
What are some good miniseries, movies, books, and/or autobiographies which span decades, leaving the reader feeling like they have been on a long, intimate journey?
Most movies and novels we're familiar with center around the resolution of a specific problem and span only a few weeks or months. However with this question I'm asking about literature/cinema which spans decades, leaving the reader at the end somewhat wistful, acutely aware of having embarked on a great journey of life, and feeling a great passage of time. We form a bond with the people, families, or subjects in these stories and gradually watch them grow up or grow old.
Some quick examples that come to mind would be Remains of the Day, the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, and the autobiography The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway. Some epic stories do exist which span decades or even centuries, but quite often the focus is on action or adventure rather than character development. Also I know autobiographies by their very nature cover the passage of time, but not all of them are created equal and with some of them I find myself simply indifferent at the end. Fiction or non-fiction is fine.
Most movies and novels we're familiar with center around the resolution of a specific problem and span only a few weeks or months. However with this question I'm asking about literature/cinema which spans decades, leaving the reader at the end somewhat wistful, acutely aware of having embarked on a great journey of life, and feeling a great passage of time. We form a bond with the people, families, or subjects in these stories and gradually watch them grow up or grow old.
Some quick examples that come to mind would be Remains of the Day, the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, and the autobiography The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway. Some epic stories do exist which span decades or even centuries, but quite often the focus is on action or adventure rather than character development. Also I know autobiographies by their very nature cover the passage of time, but not all of them are created equal and with some of them I find myself simply indifferent at the end. Fiction or non-fiction is fine.
Lee Smith's On Agate Hill is a beautiful story of a little girl who survives the Civil War and goes on to lead a full life on her own terms.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:41 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by hydropsyche at 3:41 PM on February 1, 2010
I'd suggest the Godfather trilogy. As Ebert writes about Part III,
We have been taught this world so well by Francis Ford Coppola that we enter it effortlessly has there ever before been a film saga so seductive and compelling, so familiar to us that even after years we remember all of the names of the players? Here, for example, is a new character, introduced as "Sonny's illegitimate son," and, yes, we nod like cousins at a family reunion, yes, he does seem a lot like Sonny.posted by shakespeherian at 3:42 PM on February 1, 2010
The Forsyte Saga. Won Galsworthy a Nobel, once upon a time.
posted by philokalia at 3:44 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by philokalia at 3:44 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Leo Uris' Trinity is a chronicle of a Northern Irish farm family, the Larkins, from the 1840s to 1916, whose fate is connected with two other families, one representing the British aristocracy and the other coming from Scotland. The central characters are a young Catholic rebel and a Protestant girl, who try to find their own place in the country divided by religion and wealth. A 2nd novel, Redemption continues the telling of the Larkins story well into the 20th century.
posted by netbros at 3:50 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by netbros at 3:50 PM on February 1, 2010
Off the top of my head:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump
The Picture of Dorian Gray
posted by albatross84 at 3:51 PM on February 1, 2010
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump
The Picture of Dorian Gray
posted by albatross84 at 3:51 PM on February 1, 2010
The Thorn Birds - Set primarily on Drogheda, a fictional sheep station in the Australian outback, the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans the years 1915 to 1969.
I would recommend the bookrather than the mini-series.
posted by Weaslegirl at 3:53 PM on February 1, 2010
I would recommend the bookrather than the mini-series.
posted by Weaslegirl at 3:53 PM on February 1, 2010
Diana Gabldon's Outlander series
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, starting with Red Mars
Bryce Courtenay's pair The Power of One and Tandia
posted by mearls at 3:56 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, starting with Red Mars
Bryce Courtenay's pair The Power of One and Tandia
posted by mearls at 3:56 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
You might like the Horatio Hornblower series of novels, which were also adapted by A&E into a fantastic miniseries. The protagonist matures (physically and otherwise) while also gaining rank and responsibilities as a naval officer in the Napoleonic Wars. Exciting, dramatic stuff and by the end of it you feel you've lived an entire lifetime of adventure on the high seas.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:57 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:57 PM on February 1, 2010
100 Years Of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
It will change your life and is exactly what you are asking for.
Wait.
Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin.
THAT book will change you forever.
Enjoy.
posted by jbenben at 3:58 PM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
It will change your life and is exactly what you are asking for.
Wait.
Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin.
THAT book will change you forever.
Enjoy.
posted by jbenben at 3:58 PM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
The Forsyte Saga miniseries (2002) is great. Really.
posted by ellenaim at 4:01 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by ellenaim at 4:01 PM on February 1, 2010
Ooh, yes, seconding 100 Years of Solitude.
posted by shakespeherian at 4:04 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by shakespeherian at 4:04 PM on February 1, 2010
The Namesake, by Jhumpra Lahiri.
So very intimate, that when [no spoilers] a fairly major character died, I wept like it was one of my own family members.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 4:05 PM on February 1, 2010
So very intimate, that when [no spoilers] a fairly major character died, I wept like it was one of my own family members.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 4:05 PM on February 1, 2010
I loved Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove books because they were so epic and spread out, but the first book starts with the main characters as older folks (if you don't mind that). Two of the books are prequels.
posted by activitystory at 4:09 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by activitystory at 4:09 PM on February 1, 2010
100 Years of Solitude, very much.
The Poisonwood Bible
In an odd way, Melmoth the Wanderer
posted by Paragon at 4:13 PM on February 1, 2010
The Poisonwood Bible
In an odd way, Melmoth the Wanderer
posted by Paragon at 4:13 PM on February 1, 2010
Pillars of the Earth, which is coincidentally going to come out as a miniseries any old time now.
Echo House by Ward Just if you're into the DC shtick.
The Last Emperor is you want a visually stunning costume drama
posted by IndigoJones at 4:30 PM on February 1, 2010
Echo House by Ward Just if you're into the DC shtick.
The Last Emperor is you want a visually stunning costume drama
posted by IndigoJones at 4:30 PM on February 1, 2010
Seconding Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.
Also And the Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It broke my heart when that book ended. I wanted to read about those people forever.
posted by something something at 4:38 PM on February 1, 2010
Also And the Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It broke my heart when that book ended. I wanted to read about those people forever.
posted by something something at 4:38 PM on February 1, 2010
John Irving's The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany. (Actually, quite a few of his books.)
posted by kirkaracha at 4:38 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kirkaracha at 4:38 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Forever by Peter Hamill. Spans 250 years in Ireland and New York. I adored this book.
posted by kimdog at 4:39 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by kimdog at 4:39 PM on February 1, 2010
I've mentioned this book in a couple of recent book recommendation threads but it really fits your criteria: Lars Saabye Christensen's The Half Brother.
posted by Kattullus at 4:43 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 4:43 PM on February 1, 2010
Brideshead Revisited, the BBC miniseries, not the recent film. It only spans a couple decades, but it feels much longer than that (in the way you want, I think). When you finish you'll hear the theme music and feel all wistful. Plus, I mean, Jeremy Irons...yum.
Vanity Fair, the novel.
The Up Series is a real-life version--a set of documentaries focusing on the same small group of children beginning in 1964, when they were seven, and returning to them every seven years.
Atonement, the novel, sort of qualifies, but I'm not sure it has the feel you're looking for.
Thanks for this question; this is one of my favorite qualities for a book, film, show, etc.
posted by sallybrown at 4:43 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Vanity Fair, the novel.
The Up Series is a real-life version--a set of documentaries focusing on the same small group of children beginning in 1964, when they were seven, and returning to them every seven years.
Atonement, the novel, sort of qualifies, but I'm not sure it has the feel you're looking for.
Thanks for this question; this is one of my favorite qualities for a book, film, show, etc.
posted by sallybrown at 4:43 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynde
Kristin Lavransdattir by Sigrid Undset
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, which doesn't so much cover a huge passage of time as a slow growing-up in which everything changes.
posted by mynameisluka at 4:46 PM on February 1, 2010
Kristin Lavransdattir by Sigrid Undset
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, which doesn't so much cover a huge passage of time as a slow growing-up in which everything changes.
posted by mynameisluka at 4:46 PM on February 1, 2010
And I just want to second the John Irving suggestion, he is fantastic at this! See also his The World According to Garp, A Widow for One Year, Until I Find You, and Last Night in Twisted River.
posted by sallybrown at 4:47 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by sallybrown at 4:47 PM on February 1, 2010
I, Claudius.
First a book, then a wonderful mini-series starring Sir Derek Jacobi.
posted by burntflowers at 5:01 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
First a book, then a wonderful mini-series starring Sir Derek Jacobi.
posted by burntflowers at 5:01 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Anthony Trollope's series of books called the Palliser novels which are about British parliamentary and social politics in the 1800s.
Doris Lessing's five book Children of Violence series which follows a 20th century female character from her birth in South Africa at the end of WWI through her death in the UK near the end of the century after WWIII (yes, that's "three").
I'd also recommend some of James Michener's historical novels.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:06 PM on February 1, 2010
Doris Lessing's five book Children of Violence series which follows a 20th century female character from her birth in South Africa at the end of WWI through her death in the UK near the end of the century after WWIII (yes, that's "three").
I'd also recommend some of James Michener's historical novels.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:06 PM on February 1, 2010
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 5:21 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by the duck by the oboe at 5:21 PM on February 1, 2010
I am surprised that nobody has said this yet, as it is one of the (absolute, hands down) most perfect answers to the the question: Best of Youth. See it right now! It is, honestly, one of the most superb movies of the past decade. And although Edward Yang's Yi Yi takes place during a very few months, it hearkens back to many many things that happened in the decade(s) prior, for the same wistful, life-as-a-journeyish feel. It is a gorgeously tender, non-naiive and immaculately-paced family saga told during the span of a few months. Can't recommend it enough. For literature, there is no better 'novel of life' I think, than Italo Svevo's Confessions of Zeno. While the (newly accepted) translations may be more accurate than the translations of the '70s-'90s, I recommend you pick up the earlier ones (with the garish, garish covers), as they preserve much more of the humor and voice of Svevo's protagonist.
Seconding Garcia-Marquez and the Forsyte saga. And putting in a great, great word for the Updike Rabbit novels, which have fared poorly as Updike's critical star collapses sadly inward.
posted by mr. remy at 5:26 PM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
Seconding Garcia-Marquez and the Forsyte saga. And putting in a great, great word for the Updike Rabbit novels, which have fared poorly as Updike's critical star collapses sadly inward.
posted by mr. remy at 5:26 PM on February 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
If you're at all interested in fantasy, Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea cycle is excellent and follows the life of its main character, Ged, from childhood into old age. I don't normally enjoy high fantasy myself, but this series transcends the genre and tells a rich and satisfying story.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:28 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:28 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
A Dance to the Music of Time. 12 novels, rather than one. However it exactly fits your bill.
posted by arha at 5:51 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by arha at 5:51 PM on February 1, 2010
The 20-and-a-half volumes of the Aubrey/Maturin series are very satisfying in that way. You get really intimate with the two main characters, and see how their friendship deepens and grows over the years; sometimes there are jokes that only work because they know each other so well, and so do you. You will be devastated that the author died halfway through the 21st book. At least, I was.
posted by not that girl at 6:14 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by not that girl at 6:14 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Frank McCourt's trilogy of memoirs: Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man.
posted by amyms at 6:30 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by amyms at 6:30 PM on February 1, 2010
The Anne of Green Gables miniseries. I loved watching Anne grow from a feisty young girl to a mature adult. I imagine the books have the same effect, though I can't say as I never read them.
posted by yawper at 6:31 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by yawper at 6:31 PM on February 1, 2010
Currently reading mefi favorite Cloud Atlas which 100 some pages in does this.
Proust, La Jetee, Orlando, Goodfellas, and 2046 also come to mind.
posted by minkll at 6:33 PM on February 1, 2010
Proust, La Jetee, Orlando, Goodfellas, and 2046 also come to mind.
posted by minkll at 6:33 PM on February 1, 2010
The Anne of Green Gables miniseries. I loved watching Anne grow from a feisty young girl to a mature adult. I imagine the books have the same effect...
They absolutely do.
posted by sallybrown at 6:36 PM on February 1, 2010
They absolutely do.
posted by sallybrown at 6:36 PM on February 1, 2010
Second The Deptford Trilogy and The Amazing Adventures of Kavilier and Clay
Also Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann, Little, Big by John Crowley, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
posted by hwestiii at 6:49 PM on February 1, 2010
Also Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann, Little, Big by John Crowley, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
posted by hwestiii at 6:49 PM on February 1, 2010
1900 (aka Novecento), a 1976 Italian film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Robert De Niro. Interesting but painful to watch at 311 minutes. Worth it alone for a brief but hilarious scene where DeNiro's character tries cocaine for the first time and the incredible Dominique Sanda shimmies around in the nude.
Strange Interlude (1923), play by Eugene O'Neill; filmed 1932 starring Norma Shearer and Clark Gable.
posted by supremefiction at 7:03 PM on February 1, 2010
Strange Interlude (1923), play by Eugene O'Neill; filmed 1932 starring Norma Shearer and Clark Gable.
posted by supremefiction at 7:03 PM on February 1, 2010
A Dance to the Music of Time is epic. Its 12 volumes follow England's upper crust bohemians from the 1920s to the 70s.
posted by betweenthebars at 7:04 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by betweenthebars at 7:04 PM on February 1, 2010
Also recommending Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. Once you've read that, go on to Little, Big by John Crowley.
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 7:06 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 7:06 PM on February 1, 2010
I'm a little surprised that noone's mentioned War and Peace. It goes through several cycles of war and - who would have thought - peace, as you slowly grow to know the major players in three key families, as well as others along the way. You follow some characters from unruly impoverished youth through to outrageous wealth and respect, others from listless monotony to acclaimed success, others still start as priggish young egoists who you gradually, begrudgingly, begin to respect and even like as they change over the course of several decades. It's a long book, of course, but is honestly quite a page turner. I guarantee you it's what you're after.
posted by twirlypen at 7:45 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by twirlypen at 7:45 PM on February 1, 2010
Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and Children of God - which through the magic of space travel and relative time passage, manage to cover several generations all within the lifetime of the main protagonist.
posted by Flannery Culp at 7:51 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by Flannery Culp at 7:51 PM on February 1, 2010
Ooooh, oooh! These are my very favorite types of books, which I refer to as "epic novels."
Seconding The Thorn Birds, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Trinity, 100 Years of Solitude, and especially Middlesex.
Adding The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Also, James Michener's historical fiction books do this quite well- Poland is a favorite of mine.
posted by emd3737 at 7:54 PM on February 1, 2010
Seconding The Thorn Birds, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Trinity, 100 Years of Solitude, and especially Middlesex.
Adding The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Also, James Michener's historical fiction books do this quite well- Poland is a favorite of mine.
posted by emd3737 at 7:54 PM on February 1, 2010
Oh, and East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Can't believe I almost forgot that one!
posted by emd3737 at 7:55 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by emd3737 at 7:55 PM on February 1, 2010
OMG.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
The book, not the movie.
I never wanted it to end.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:18 PM on February 1, 2010
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
The book, not the movie.
I never wanted it to end.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:18 PM on February 1, 2010
Desolation Road, Ian McDonald.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:48 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:48 PM on February 1, 2010
It doesn't look like World's End, by T.C. Boyle, has been mentioned yet, and it certainly fits the bill. And it's a fantastic book.
posted by misterioso at 8:52 PM on February 1, 2010
posted by misterioso at 8:52 PM on February 1, 2010
"Emilie", by Arlette Cousture. It may be out of print now, but it's worth tracking down, I think. For anyone who is a fan of the "Anne of Green Gables" books, and would like to read something in the same sort of vein, it's also about a strong girl/woman who becomes a teacher, it's edgier, and set in Quebec (the novel is in French, but I had an english translation). Two thumbs up! In fact, I think I'm going to hunt down my copy the next time I'm at my parents' house. I believe it is a prequel (spans Emilie's childhood to early adulthood), and that the other novels are about herself and her sisters.
Also, I can't remember - did anyone mention "Little Women"?
posted by purlgurly at 8:56 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, I can't remember - did anyone mention "Little Women"?
posted by purlgurly at 8:56 PM on February 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
"How Green Was My Valley" by Richard Llewellyn.
The most beautiful thing I've ever read, hands down. And epic in the terms you've defined.
posted by Detuned Radio at 11:28 PM on February 1, 2010
The most beautiful thing I've ever read, hands down. And epic in the terms you've defined.
posted by Detuned Radio at 11:28 PM on February 1, 2010
Louise Erdrich's novels span decades, families, and miles. Complex and haunting.
posted by oceanmorning at 12:29 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by oceanmorning at 12:29 AM on February 2, 2010
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell will take you through much more than just some decades and it is glorious!
posted by Glow Bucket at 3:02 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by Glow Bucket at 3:02 AM on February 2, 2010
Seconding Cloud Atlas and Winter's Tale. Both are are great works.
posted by pwicks at 3:24 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by pwicks at 3:24 AM on February 2, 2010
I assume you know there is a followup volume of Jill Ker Conway's autobiography - True North?
What about Middlemarch? It doesn't quite span decades, but it's just lovely and has that unhurried, satisfying feel to it.
Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin is also a long and meandering good read. Cat's Eye too, now that I'm thinking about Atwood books.
posted by procrastinator_general at 4:39 AM on February 2, 2010
What about Middlemarch? It doesn't quite span decades, but it's just lovely and has that unhurried, satisfying feel to it.
Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin is also a long and meandering good read. Cat's Eye too, now that I'm thinking about Atwood books.
posted by procrastinator_general at 4:39 AM on February 2, 2010
Oh, and the Dune novels by Frank Herbert if you're into science fiction. It spans thousands of years.
posted by Glow Bucket at 4:47 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by Glow Bucket at 4:47 AM on February 2, 2010
The Other Boleyn Girl
posted by HeKilledKennedy at 7:08 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by HeKilledKennedy at 7:08 AM on February 2, 2010
"Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" by Hermann Wouk
posted by cass at 7:24 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by cass at 7:24 AM on February 2, 2010
Clive Barker's Galilee
from Amazon: "His novel ...tells the tale of two warring families caught up in a disastrous web of corruption, illicit sexuality, and star-crossed love, with a soupçon of the supernatural thrown in as well. On one side are the wealthy Gearys--a fictional stand-in for the Kennedys--and on the other are the Barbarossas, a mysterious black clan that has been around since the time (quite literally) of Adam. Galilee chronicles the twisted course of this centuries-old family feud, which centers around the magical Barbarossa matriarch Cesaria and her son Galilee....Barker has come up with an intelligent and shamelessly amusing potboiler."
posted by carlh at 8:33 AM on February 2, 2010
from Amazon: "His novel ...tells the tale of two warring families caught up in a disastrous web of corruption, illicit sexuality, and star-crossed love, with a soupçon of the supernatural thrown in as well. On one side are the wealthy Gearys--a fictional stand-in for the Kennedys--and on the other are the Barbarossas, a mysterious black clan that has been around since the time (quite literally) of Adam. Galilee chronicles the twisted course of this centuries-old family feud, which centers around the magical Barbarossa matriarch Cesaria and her son Galilee....Barker has come up with an intelligent and shamelessly amusing potboiler."
posted by carlh at 8:33 AM on February 2, 2010
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Seriously. This was the first thing that popped into my head upon reading your question.
posted by Spyder's Game at 11:23 AM on February 2, 2010
posted by Spyder's Game at 11:23 AM on February 2, 2010
How about, to name a few:
Anna Karenina, War and Peace (Tolstoy)
The Raj Quartet (The Jewel in the Crown et. al.) (Paul Scott)
The Forsyte Saga (John Galsworthy)
In the Company of the Courtesan (Sarah Dunant)
Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
The English Patient (Michael Ondatje)
Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follet)
The Odyssey (Homer)
The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)
The Tale of Murasaki (Liza Dalby)
The March (E.L. Doctorow)
posted by SuzB at 2:51 PM on February 2, 2010
Anna Karenina, War and Peace (Tolstoy)
The Raj Quartet (The Jewel in the Crown et. al.) (Paul Scott)
The Forsyte Saga (John Galsworthy)
In the Company of the Courtesan (Sarah Dunant)
Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
The English Patient (Michael Ondatje)
Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follet)
The Odyssey (Homer)
The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)
The Tale of Murasaki (Liza Dalby)
The March (E.L. Doctorow)
posted by SuzB at 2:51 PM on February 2, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for the answers so far... I am going through every single one of your suggestions for my "books/movies to watch" list.
Many of the titles I have not read or viewed so far, except for Brideshead Revisited. We watched that last year and it definitely had the "march of time" quality going for it. It's interesting that the scene at the beginning and end of the series was almost identical; at the beginning, not meaningful; at the end, profound.
posted by crapmatic at 4:27 PM on February 2, 2010
Many of the titles I have not read or viewed so far, except for Brideshead Revisited. We watched that last year and it definitely had the "march of time" quality going for it. It's interesting that the scene at the beginning and end of the series was almost identical; at the beginning, not meaningful; at the end, profound.
posted by crapmatic at 4:27 PM on February 2, 2010
Response by poster: The Other Boleyn Girl
-- which one?
posted by crapmatic at 5:06 PM on February 2, 2010
-- which one?
posted by crapmatic at 5:06 PM on February 2, 2010
"Our Friends in the North" is a miniseries set over three decades and has a pre-Bond Daniel Craig, as well as some other great performances. I don't think there ever was a US release though.
posted by kosher_jenny at 9:05 PM on February 2, 2010
posted by kosher_jenny at 9:05 PM on February 2, 2010
The Red Violin
Memoirs of a Geisha (important: the book version)
The Good Earth
Joy Luck Club (I enjoyed both the movie and the book)
Time Traveler's Wife (important: The book version), which is nice because it spans decades in a very unconventional way.
The Empire Trilogy (Daughter of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire, Servant of the Empire).
Seconding:
The Anne of Green Gables series all the way through Rilla of Ingleside
Forrest Gump
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Angela's Ashes
posted by like_neon at 5:29 AM on February 3, 2010
Memoirs of a Geisha (important: the book version)
The Good Earth
Joy Luck Club (I enjoyed both the movie and the book)
Time Traveler's Wife (important: The book version), which is nice because it spans decades in a very unconventional way.
The Empire Trilogy (Daughter of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire, Servant of the Empire).
Seconding:
The Anne of Green Gables series all the way through Rilla of Ingleside
Forrest Gump
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Angela's Ashes
posted by like_neon at 5:29 AM on February 3, 2010
I haven't actually read it yet, but sitting on top of my To Read pile is The Confessions of Max Tivoli.
posted by kristi at 10:36 AM on February 3, 2010
posted by kristi at 10:36 AM on February 3, 2010
The first thing I thought of was the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
posted by SisterHavana at 11:40 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by SisterHavana at 11:40 PM on February 3, 2010
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
posted by susiepie at 6:17 PM on February 4, 2010
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
posted by susiepie at 6:17 PM on February 4, 2010
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