I've always been a fan of the 19th century novel, of the novel that is plotted, character-driven, and where the passage of time is almost as central to the novel as a major minor character, the passage of time and its effect on the characters in the story.
“You come to the planet with nothing and you leave with nothing, so you'd better do some good while you are here.”
“I grew up believing my sister was from the planet Neptune and had been sent down to Earth to kill me.”