Joy Harmon answers “Might the readers enjoy this essay on the...”

Lance asked this question about Shōgun (Asian Saga, #1):

Might the readers enjoy this essay on the historical accuracy of the book as a complement? http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/learning/Learning_from_shogun_txt.pdf

Joy Harmon Yes, and thank you. My impression of Shogun has always been that it was a well research novel, but I never knew if this was just my idea. It reinforce…moreYes, and thank you. My impression of Shogun has always been that it was a well research novel, but I never knew if this was just my idea. It reinforces my theory that good historical fiction is well researched. Books like this do not come along often.

I go back and forth between biography and historical fiction. The two qualities of good writing and good research are seldom found together in one book. I wish the biographers would take a cue from the historical fiction writers and remember that good writing is an important part of a book. So, often the biographies read like a list of facts. That's fine if it's supposed to be a text book. But if the author wants to be read and enjoyed the book has to also tell the story well.(less)

flag

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more