There are some novels that you wouldn't hesitate to call epic works. Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, Joyce's Ulysses. Often they seem epic because they stretch out away from you and portions of them remain far from your grasp. There's a sense that you can't see the whole picture, and maybe you never will. DeLillo's Underworld for me was both epic in feel, but approachable, containable, visible. Therein lies the power of the piece.
Underworld is a American mixing bowl of characters and places. It carries us along from the 50s to the 90s, weaving back and forth through the decades, yet somehow, one never feels too lost. Or, if we do feel lost, it's because the characters feel the same way. We sneak inside the mind of J. Edgar Hoover, Jackie Gleason, and others. We spend years hunting for an historic baseball. We fight with guilt, and desire, and the unfathomable force of change. It's certainly epic, and it is wholly beautiful. I can't recommend this book enough, the story and the language and of course, the historical importance make this a must read. Easily in the top ten of great 20th century books.
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