Seeking upbeat books with a broad spectrum of characters

Friend WS (not William Shakespeare) makes an intriguing request: suggested readings among books that have a generally positive (i.e., upbeat, though he didn't use that word) outlook and that include a broad spectrum of humanity - books he describes as "Chaucerian." Hm, well without getting into whether Chaucer is actually upbeat - there's an incredible amount of wanton cruelty and overt anti-Semitism in some of the tales - I know what WS is getting at - and not many books fit his criteria, at least not among serious literature. There are a few obvious examples from classic fiction, with a heavy tilt toward British literature which, a noted in many previous posts, tends to move toward the comic, integration of the protagonist into society, rather than the tragic, exclusion or alienation of the protagonist - far more typical of American (not to mention French, German, Russian) literature. But here are a few thoughts: Fielding. The first to come to mind - Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews the prototypes of the "bildungsroman," the education of a young man and his integration or acceptance into genteel society, with many comic episodes along the way. Don Quixote/Cervantes. Far too much cruelty, suffering, and (mental) illness to be a perfect example, but it's such a great novel and does ultimately have a warm sense of humanity and friendship and a very vast array of characters and classes. Dickens, maybe?, though probably the lesser and more sentimental novels rather than the great trio of Bleak, Expectations, Dorrit, which have far too much darkness to make this list. (Not Austen - far too narrow a social spectrum, and a sense of unease and unrest beneath the apparent placidity of the comic conclusions.) Forster, maybe - at least Howards End, reaching a "positive" conclusion after much struggle along the way. Among contemporary novelists, there are a few possibilities, though I can't help but think that no great novelist really wants to be described as positive and upbeat. Great novels are almost always about a struggle between equals or a collision of forces, and even if the endings are not tragic there is usually a great deal of darkness and despair along the way. A few writers, however, may fit the criteria of positive outlook and broad social spectrum, including: Nick Hornby. Being labeled as an upbeat writer is the albatross around his neck, but so be it: High Fidelity for one is a very pleasing novel that fits the bill. (Movie is good, too.) Ann Tyler. Her reputation seems to have slipped over the past ten years or so, perhaps because she has become more mainstream and conventional and less quirky and original - however, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and The Accidental Tourist may qualify for this list. Garcia Marquez? Maybe Love in the Time of Cholera could qualify; honestly, I don't remember the conclusion that well. There are probably a number of immigrant tales that meet the upbeat/spectrum criteria - maybe Gary Shteyngart's Russian Debutante's Handbook? Then there's popular fiction - a trove of upbeat novels that include a wide range of characters - though often presented in a formulaic, generic, or superficial manner. One exception is Stephen King, who writes very well within his chosen genre. His long novel It may come as close as horror fiction can come to meeting the WS criteria. That's all I can come up with on the spot. Open to further suggestions.