A roman fleuve is a series of novels that cover several or more generations and multiple interrelated story lines or is a number of books set in the same mileu
and features interrelated characters. Examples might be the multiple works in the Star Trek cannon, Jean Plaidy’s english history series or The Outlander series.
Anyone got some recommendations? I’d favor historical (not straight romance) but am interested in just about anything.
James Clavell’s “Asian Saga” is the first one that comes to mind for me. My brother liked most of them (e.g. Tai-Pan, Shogun).
I checked the Wikipedia entry for examples. Not all of them are “literary.” For example, Asimov’s Foundation books & the Hitchhiker books seem to qualify…
My own favorite from that list is Paul Scott’s excellent Raj Quartet--that became the outstanding Jewel in the Crown on Granada TV (& Masterpiece Theatre). Time for another reading–are the old paperbacks up to it?
The Ford Madox Ford tetralogy Parade’s End might qualify. The time frame is shorter–but it encompasses the Great War & the times Before & After that watershed. It’s a fascinating work that rewards re-reading & will appear in 5 episodes on BBC/HBO at the end of 2012–with a script by Tom Stoppard…
The Alice and Jerry Books. 
I can’t believe I came in to mention the Paul Scott “Jewel in the Crown” Raj Quartet - and it’s already mentioned! that’s the Straight Dope for ya.
How about Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet? very exotic, interesting group of characters.
I know what you’re talking about, I read a couple of historical series quite a while ago. Don’t think they’re in print other than a library, but they were excellent reading.
“The Plantation Trilogy” by Gwen Bristow. Three novels concerning two families in Louisiana. First one began with settlers in the 1700’s, second one during the Civil War, third one ending around WW1 in the 20th century.
“The Awakening Land” trilogy by Conrad Richter. Settlers again, in what is now Ohio, three volumes, the third of which, “The Town”, won the Pulitzer Prize. And it was an excellent mini-series starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook.
I was going to suggest the Raj Quartet too.
And your idea of re-reading them is a good one. I think I’ll put the first volume into my Christmas luggage pile so that I can start on it on Boxing Day.
The Rougon-Macquart series by Emile Zola. 20 novels. From wikipedia: “They are the story of a family principally between the years 1851 and 1871. These 20 novels contain over 300 major characters, who descend from the two family lines of the Rougons and Macquarts and who are related.”
Some novels feature a family member as the main character; in others, the family member may play a very minor part. Zola’s overall plan was that each novel would feature a different aspect of society - banking, theater, the military, etc. My favorites are* L’Assomoir*, about a character’s decent from lower middle-class respectability into drunkenness and squalor, and Nana, the tale of her courtesan daughter.
The Rougons are the legitimate line, and the Macquarts the illegitimate line. Zola considered his work to be (Wikipedia again) “a vehicle for scientific experiment.” All I know is that I personally found the Macquart’s stories the more interesting.