Any Devotees of Historical Fiction (And should I convert!?)

[[deleted user]]

I didn't really consider To Kill A Mockingbird as historical fiction.
Otherwise it would have been my first to recommend : )

(Did I mention I finally own a copy I found at eBay? : ))

[Douglas]

I have always felt that historical fiction is one of the more important genres in literature. Well written historical fiction transports and immerses the reader in a time and place, provides a great story based on true facts and memorable characters that keep the reader turning pages. And historical fiction provides an educational experience as well. For many of us who love history and also love to read, but don't have the time or patience for non-fiction history, it's the best of both worlds. Who can ever forget being a part of 19th century Scotland in Diana Gabaldon's Outlanderor part of 12th century England in Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth.

My particular area of interest as a reader as well as an author, is World War Two and Herman Wouk's classics Winds of War War and Remembranceare two of the best.

Douglas W Jacobson
Author, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War II
http://douglaswjacobson.bolgspot.com

[Kathryn]

I love "To Kill a Mockingbird" !!! :-)

I guess, being a newbie to the genre, I kind of assumed that "historical fiction" was contemporary authors writing novels about historical times; that is, people who were not alive during the time they are writing about, but know the historical aspects based on research.

That is why I didn't consider "To Kill a Mockingbird" as historical fiction becaues Lee was writing about what she knew/experienced (even though it is fiction, and historical to us).

Whereas, say, Phillipa Gregory stuff seems like "historical fiction" to me as she wasn't around at the time Anne Boelyn.

Hum, perhaps I'll have to investiage the genre still more to see all the subcategories!!! :-p

[Katri]

That's also how I view historical fiction. If people are writing about the times they lived in, it's just fiction that was written a long time ago, even if it may now be historical for us. So, out of some classics, I don't view e.g. Jane Austen's novels as historical fiction because she was writing about her own time. On the other hand, many of Victor Hugo's novels where historical novels also at the time when they were written and I consider them to be historical novels still, even though now the distance between the writing time and events of Les Misérables is smaller than the distance between us and the writing time. But if we don't consider it from the point of view of whether they were written as historical novels, only from whether they're historical to us, most novels that are more than a few decades old would count as historical novels.

[Kristie]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Caleb Carr. I think he was the first author to REALLY take me into historical fiction. The Alienist and Angel of Darkness. And read them in that order (it will make more sense). They are on the mystery/detective type of books. The Alienist centers on a man who is using cutting edge forensics for the time period. As I recall it takes place in the mid to late 1800's. Anyway, it's one of my favorite books. The Angel of Darkness is like the sequal to the Alienist.

I also saw someone rec'd the Red Tent and I though that was an amazing book. I think the beginning was a little slow for me, but once I hit a certain point, it REALLY picked up and I loved it.

I have another book that I read in the last year and unfortunately I haven't put it in my READ list because I can't remember the name of it. I will look when I get home and post again! Good luck with your search though.

[Tara]

I also recommend all of these, in addition to some others depending on what part of history you're interested in.

There's Auel's "Earth's Children" Series, beginning with the Clan of the Cave Bear, about prehistoric humanity. They're really wonderful books.

The Clan of the Cave Bear

There's Diana Gabaldon, whose "Outlander" series is NOT to be missed by any means. Her rich detail and really fascinating characters make this whole story about a time travelling woman and her lover from 18th century Scotland extremely fascinating.

Outlander

[Heidi]

Here are some of my favorites:
Anything by Samuel Shellabarger or Anya Seton. Both are older writers, but really good. Their subjects are mostly European History.

The Officers' wives (Korean war) and Time and Tide by Thomas Fleming.

China Court by Rumer Godden.

The Rich are different by Susan Howatch. (America in the 20's.)

Winds of War and War and Rememberance by Herman Wouk.

The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock (World War I England)

[[deleted user]]

I just wanted to reiterate that the Outlander series should NOT be missed. I, for one, struggle to let the books leave my hands. I just picked up The Fiery Cross. Oooo. I can't wait to get lost in it!

[Robbie]

Did anyone mention The Killer Angels ?
Ha ha if I already mentioned it. It was probably the first historical fiction I enjoyed as an adult.

[Kathy]

I love historical fiction. Historical fiction combined with mystery is even better. Historical fiction combined with mystery and literary fiction is what I imagine heaven to be. I've especially enjoyed some books that have been mentioned already, such as A Thread of Grace, Abundance, and Year of Wonders. Also, Ursula Hegi's Stones From the River is excellent. A wonderful surprise novel was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel Society, which ended up being one of those heaven on earth books(literary, historical, and mystery). People of the Book also falls in that category and was so interesting in the history of the Jewish people from before the Spanish Inquistion and on in Europe. I'm sure I will think of more to add to this topic.

[Naomi]

Hi Kathryn, thanks for the thread. Yes, love historical fiction - in fact I believe that I have learnt much of my history through reading it fictionalised first and then going off to double check and contextualise more directly. It amazes me just how often contemporary authors manipulate a story to suit a modern ethos or make easier or more consise writing - it seems to be a way to endlessly rewrite history to suit our own world view rather than really taking the time to imagine the world from a different point of view. For this reason I particularly enjoy writers like Margaret Yourcenour and Mary Renault who seem to make a determined effort to stay true to history or myth as much as possible.

[Katherine]

I am soooo late on coming to this thread but just want to say I've thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's comments. What great recommendations. Thank you!

[Becca]

I love historical fiction. I'd say it would mainly depend on what time in history you enjoy. I love everything do to with ancient greece or rome, and I also love the medieval period. I love Margaret George, I have read all of her books. I also love Elizabeth Chadwick who writes great medieval historical fiction with a hint of romance! I also love anything to do with King Arthur. Mary Stewart's Merlin's books are really good, and I also have Bernard Cornwell's books on Arthur sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

[Lisa]

Reading through the comments, I found that I actually read a lot of books in this genre. I guess I just never thought to include a lot of the books people mentioned in this category. It's like trying to pick a genre for music sometimes. I agree that it depends on the author for sure. I mean I love history. I have a degree for it, but too many facts can ruin it. If it's fiction, it should definitely feel like fiction and not delve into the non-fiction arena too much. That being said, I like this genre because I can learn about history without sitting down and reading a reference book. Sometimes I am just not in the mood to tackle a non-fiction book. I have to take notes when I read those because I'm a nerd. Historical fiction is a good compromise.

[J.J.]

"Dorothy Parker Drank Here"...
If you like Dorothy Parker and historical fiction, you might enjoy Murder Your Darlings and the new one You Might As Well Die. This series imagines Dorothy Parker and the members of the Algonquin Round Table solving mysteries in 1920s New York. (Disclaimer: I'm the author)

Someone else mentioned Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club, and if you like that, how about The Sherlockian (which is part historical/part contemporary)?

[Darian]

J.j.! The Sherlockian is fantastic! And I have added both of your books to my must read list!

[J.J.]

Darian, yes, The Sherlockian is good, isn't it? And thanks so much for adding my books to your list. Feel free to join my contest and win a free one!
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

[Jayme Pendergraft]

I don't usually get too much into historical fiction, but I absolutely loved Forever by Pete Hamill. It has some magic and some romance and is beautifully written.