Feel like Donna Tartt was definitely reaching for this with The Little Friend and The Goldfinch. And if you will permit more speculative genres, Kim Stanley Robinson's Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy - aside from the fact that it's about terraforming Mars it absolutely reads like a 19th century doorstopper, with large scale events viewed mostly through the lens of a small group of characters.
Of the ones in the poll I've only read Stead and Ferrante, I appreciated more than enjoyed Stead.
― ledge, Friday, 11 November 2022 12:08 (one year ago) link