The Art of History: Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Nonfiction

by Christopher Bram

One has to look no further than the audiences hungry for the narratives served up by Downton Abbey or Wolf Hall to know that the lure of the past is as seductive as ever. But incorporating historical events and figures into a shapely narrative is no simple task. The acclaimed novelist Christopher Bram examines how writers as disparate as Gabriel García Márquez, David McCullough, Toni Morrison, Leo Tolstoy, and many others have employed history in their work.Unique among the "Art Of" series, The Art of History engages with both fiction and narrative nonfiction to reveal varied strategies of incorporating and dramatizing historical detail. Bram challenges popular notions about historical narratives as he examines both successful and flawed passages to illustrate how authors from different genres treat subjects that loom large in American history, such as slavery and the Civil War. And he delves deep into the reasons why War and Peace endures as a classic of historical fiction. Bram's keen insight and close reading of a wide array of authors make The Art of History an essential volume for any lover of historical narrative.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, History

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Bram grew up in Kempsville, Virginia. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1974 (B.A. in English), he moved to New York City four years later. There, he met his lifelong partner, documentary filmmaker Draper Shreeve.

Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, about film director James Whale, was made into the movie Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser. Bill Condon adapted the screenplay and directed. Condon won an Academy Award for his adaptation.

In 2001, Bram was a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2003, he received the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He currently resides in New York.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher as a result of Goodreads Giveaways and in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the subtitle "Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Nonfiction", Bram spends a majority of the book discussing fiction and not actual nonfiction - he seems to have missed the idea that popular histories aren't always "nonfiction."

That said, the book does an excellent job of explaining how authors treat history in their works, and may inadvertently help explain why movies based on history may get much more history "right" while at the same time getting so much more history "wrong."

The initial chapters are engaging, but the work suffers toward the end. Ironically, the last chapter about endings and epilogues read like a bad ending in itself - after steaming happily along, Bram seams to have run out of things to say and botches the conclusion.

Moreover, while this work may "unlock" history for the average reader, it does little for the academic historian to understand why writers generally treat history recklessly. A better subtitle would be "Introducing the Past in Fiction."

So, why the three star rating? Well, it won't actually make you a worse person for having read it (my one-star rating since Goodreads won't let one give zero stars to a work), and the writing - for the most part - was engaging, pushing it past the "OK" mark. So I guess my "real rating" would be 2.5 stars, which I'll be generous and round to 3 stars.

I would be interested to see some reviews from English academics, but this just didn't work for me. If I'd bought it, I'd consider myself cheated if I spent more than $5.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Or 2.5. My low rating comes from the high expectations I had for this book, for its potential to help me (because it's all about me) in my writing. I was wanting some new and brilliant insight into making history writing sing, but what I got was a series of extended book reviews. Maybe I'll think back and realize there are some useful nuggets here, but mostly it covered what is pretty evident from just reading history & historical fiction. AND he dissed Wolf Hall, hard. I agree that it's mostly close-up, but for me, it works.

[Kirtida Gautam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked the title with the expectation that it would help me develop the craft tools of incorporating elements of history in my fiction. But it was an analysis of historical fiction. It was an expectation mismatch.

[Will Meyerhofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of anything more fun than reading Christopher Bram when he's writing about books. For starters, he's read *everything* and more importantly, everything he has to say about them just seems instantly true as soon as you read the words on the page. And it's all so unpretentious. I was an English major but I think, until I read Bram write about books, I always more or less hated "literary criticism" - I even hated that term, "literary criticism". I hate calling this book - or his other one "Eminent Outlaws" (which is also just incredibly good) "literary criticism" because it isn't like those other guys. It isn't hard to understand - in fact, Bram's whole genius is that he makes hard things so easy to understand. He never hesitates to offer an opinion - as in, if he doesn't like a book, he'll say so. But mostly he does what your English teacher was supposed to do - opens books up so you begin to understand them in a new way. That sounds utterly cheesy, so I'll just say read this and you'll love it and won't be able to put it down and then for at least a few days or weeks all you'll want to do in the world is read read read read and read some more.

[Jude Morrissey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, and was thrilled to have won it! It's a wonderful exploration of the art of writing history - both historical fiction and narrative history. Either one, well done, reads as a story, and in The Art of History: Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Nonfiction, Christopher Bram does a masterful job of laying out how those stories are told. In the process, he looks at a number of works incorporating history to some degree, including Love in the Time of Cholera, War and Peace, The Confessions of Nat Turner, and Beloved - as well as a number of other books (along with mentions of shows like Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey). An excellent and engaging short book, highly recommended for those who like reading historical works, fiction or nonfiction, or who enjoy literary analysis generally.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Bram is a wonderful writer, and this little book is a delight. It is part of a series of "the Art Of" books focused on some particular issue of the writer's craft, and judging by the other authors in the series, it is probably worth reading them all. I read this one partly because of the author and partly because of the topic, and I am glad I did. Besides being a good read in its own right, it is also a guide to further reading I might enjoy. With 700 books on my To-Read list, you might not think that would be important, but you would be wrong - I always enjoy adding to that list! And since this book references a number of books I have already enjoyed, I feel I can trust this author's taste.

I got this book from the Mechanic's Institute Library, but I think I will need to buy a copy of my own.

[Conrad Wesselhoeft · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise, engaging book that straddles the confluence of history and fiction.

Bram has chosen a bevy of renowned novels, biographies, and histories to inspect and dissect. In doing so, he has rekindled my interest in titles read long ago ("Little Big Man," "The Killer Angels," "True Grit") while sparking an interest in new ones ("Ecstatic Nation," "Saturday," "Eminent Victorians," "The Leopard," "Love in the Time of Cholera.")

I agree with his skewering of Tolstoy for the dense epilogue at the end of "War and Peace" but disagree with his negative assessment of "The Killer Angels," a great novel deserving of its Pulitzer Prize.

Bram fills 160 pages with musings and insights that are often inspired and always entertaining. Anyone contemplating writing historical fiction will find "The Art of History" especially relevant.

[Jim Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about writing and literature was an unusual choice for me, but
The Art of History: Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Nonfiction's cover and size (i.e. short) spoke to me from our local library's "new books" shelf. I ended up finding author Christopher Bram's book to be a delight. His knowledgeable insights on historical fiction and "historical non-fiction" (my term) were thought-provoking, and his willingness to separate the good from the "non-good" (also my term) is refreshing, including his rather gentle dismissals as something like "didn't work for me". A great "recommended" book list is included as well.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I approached this book as an enthusiastic reader and an aspiring writer of historical fiction, not to mention a former student of history and history of science. The book gave me a lot to think about regarding how historical stories (both fictional and nonfictional) can be told. I think some of the insights will enrich my future reading, and I hope they'll help me if/when I begin writing my own historical stories. I came away with some useful notes and also a reading list; this is definitely a book that opens doors.

[Phil Devereux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, thoughtful and easy read on just how history has been used in both fiction and non-fiction to great (and not-so-great) effect. And Bram has suggested a lot of interesting books to add my reading list!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting and a fast read, this book makes me want to revisit the books I've already read and read the ones I haven't.

[Karen]

Listening to a great literary competition on NPR and it was voted on by the author of this new book.

[Korie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this, but I skimmed through the last few chapters.

[Glenn Hammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not real show how to write from history. Listed several interesting books to read.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bram offers insight into both fictional and non-fictional historic texts, using a sampler of published works that exemplify "the right details" that bring the past alive. He also spends some time on “replacing distant spectacle with personal drama” and on micro and macro periods of time that help with figuring out these details, what to keep—what to keep out, and pacing, including how to find an end to the narrative, as events tend to keep rolling along to the next consequence.

I appreciate the difficulty of Bram's task, though I would argue with him on his interpretations of some examples as apparently others have. In his favor, I do believe these difference will arise whenever dealing with the subject of history, a most slippery devil. For example in my case, I think he is too critical of Cormac McCarthy in Blood Meridian, characterizing him as “a really mean adolescent who’s seen too many Sergio Leone movies.”

Bram goes on to say "[t]he American West is a frequent setting for comedy, both fiction and nonfiction." Though I do not dispute that, I do think, on further consideration, McCarthy is not incorrect to write so graphically about the kind of cruelty that was practiced, a brutal carnage of Mexican and indigenous populations that went unchecked and unpunished during the settling of the West and that we have not wanted to confront. That Bram earlier raised the question about how do we write about the unthinkable, mostly in regard to issues of slavery, it is curious that he does not see McCarthy doing just this in another unthinkable situation. That it is so graphic is just what makes it so stark, a flip side of what comedy has done to heighten horror in other works such as True Grit by Charles Portis that Bram eloquently cites.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. I think I wanted more from it, but I am not sure what it is, exactly, that I wanted. Bram engages with and deftly explores and analyzes various works, and elements of that were fascinating (and, heck, it almost makes me /want/ to read War and Peace, which can’t be a bad outcome, plus a few other books, too, like The Unredeemed Captive).

There were some nuggets that stood out:
—“We want to see things that are different and see them vividly. We visit the past in much the same way.... We experience this historical difference most keenly through details, the odd objects or striking moments or alien bits of behavior that snap another world to life.”
—“How does a writer find the right details? You immerse yourself in the period you’re writing about, reading history, memoirs, and novels. You explore mostly to put yourself in the mood, building an inner reality like a method actor. But you begin to notice particular anomalies and quirks that bring the past alive /for you/.”
—“The best details do the double duty of evoking both a character and an age. But there are also profound details that do triple duty, offering a glimpse into something larger, the society or religion or philosophy of the time.”

[Katherine Basto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helpful and informative book looks at history through both a fictionalized and nonfiction study.
Bram begins in the introduction about how history entertains as well as informs us. "Story is our bread and butter here: tales, yarns, dramas, narratives. A curious assemblage of character, action, and emotion., a story can function as its own time machine, carrying the reader into another era."
And Bram makes his case well. There are both historical novels more rooted in accurate historical facts and details, but can be droll, yet many nonfiction accounts read like a novel and bring the story to life. Both styles have their redeeming and challenging aspects. Any author intent on writing history clearly must learn what to leave in and leave out, and these decisions make or break a story. Imagination is also key, getting into the character's thoughts and filling in gaps.
This book is in the "Art of Series" books. The author does an outstanding job bringing both the general and specifics to help understand the complexities further, and delves into the art of telling a historical story and how to capture the essence. The novel/nonfiction examples he uses in the book are very helpful and appropriate.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slight volume—both in size and intellectual content—was written by a novelist and teacher of writing who genially rambles on about the connection between writing good history and writing good historical novels. To the surprise of no one who has ever taught writing on the college level, that connection is good storytelling.

Bram has a harder time putting his finger on anything more specific. “Most good writing is built out of details,” he says, but some details “are more trivial than others” and “not all details are good.” (38-39) If Bram doesn’t like particular details in a piece of history or historical fiction, then that book just “doesn’t work for me.”

Much of the volume is composed of brief, appreciative book reviews—often perceptive ones—and the book concludes with a list of “Books Referred To and Recommended.” Quite a few of those books work for me.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of The Art of History: Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Non-fiction by Christopher Bram from Goodreads.

As part of a line of books by authors on the craft of writing, The Art of History: Unlocking the Past in Fiction and Non-fiction by Christopher Bram fulfills it's purpose exceedingly well. Writers are not only inspired, but also given incredible insight as Bram shares examples from famous books.
Though the book is intended for writers, The Art of History will be enjoyed by fans of historical fiction and non-fiction as well. Readers may find among the books Bram discusses books they want to read next.
The Art of History is a book that writers will revisit again and again.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is meant to be a book about writing, specifically history writing. It is not.

What it actually is, is a book about reading, or at least the author's intense desire to brag about how many diverse books he's read. While it starts off very interesting, the charm wears off after a hundred pages. Around that point the reader begins to realize what a prick Bram must be, that he was asked to teach us how to write, but instead spends 150 pages monologing about his own reading list, offering pretty much nothing in the way of instruction. He feels insufferably pretentious.

And yeah, I took it personally when he pooed on The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Also, his little essay on slave narratives was a chapter I found questionable at best.

[Genét Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly informative book, which gave me a number of ideas for how I might approach writing a novel; it's currently in the early stages of formation, and the overall arc of the story has not yet appeared. But Bram's analysis of a number of historical novels through the lenses of Details, Macro vs Micro, and comedy (among others) provided not only ideas for useful reading but also PURPOSES of books that I'd read in the past but didn't really "get"; I've been a more literal reader, so learning about the subtle nuances of other works is now going to make me return to those books with fresh eyes -- the eyes of a writer.

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't recommend. I appreciate hearing about a few nonfiction books I'd like to read, but I could've gotten that by skipping to the list at the end. This series leaves it wide-open for authors to fulfill the brief however they like. However. All in all, for me this volume meandered from plodding to bitchy and arrogant. And the dominance of war as subject doesn’t help either, let alone Bram's relentless, worshipful flaying of War and Peace. That'll put you off wanting to read it. A shame it all had to be so mediocre.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably 2.5. I expected more "how to" from this book, but what I got was mostly a series of book reviews. I think it didn't help that he tried to explore both fiction and nonfiction here--those could be two separate books. (It also didn't help that he dissed Wolf Hall.) There was just so much that was vague: "Sometimes writers use humor in history!" Really? Who knew?

[Pepper · Rating 1 out of 5]

More a series of book reviews than craft essay.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn't really work for me, mostly it made me wish I was discussing this with someone, friends or classmates, rather than reading it.

I'm not actually a writer though so, YMMV if you are.

[Anthony Browski]

Didn't read yet