Learning history from historical fiction?

[Ken Isaacson]

I'm curious about how many people find that they learn a lot of history by reading historical fiction. For example, I think I learned quite a lot about World War II by reading Herman Wouk's THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. I was utterly fascinated by those two books (read many years ago) and simply did not want them to end, and the amount of history that was crammed into them was amazing.

 

Another example is Dennis Lehane's THE GIVEN DAY.

 

What a wonderful way to learn history!

[Booknutt]

Agreed, Ken -

 

I've always loved historical novels, not only for the facts and figures they contain in an interesting and readable fashion, but for the descriptions of the way of life, too.

 

I think the Charles Dickens novels are a great example - written by a man of the times, and with even the "warts and all" issues clearly on show.

Reality, history and education in an entertaining form.

[sadya]

Couldn't agree more. I love historical novels.

[Ken Isaacson]

Are you familiar, then, with the works of Charles Todd, and the series of Ian Rutledge detective novels? I've read only one (the first, I believe, in the series), and I found it fascinating for a few reasons. A TEST OF WILLS.

 

First, Charles Todd is actually a mother/son team. Second, although the series is set in very early 20th century UK, both authors are 100% United States born and bred.

 

In my opinion, writing a novel that's set in a different time period is a big challenge. Separate from that, writing a novel that's set in a location foreign to your own is a big challenge. To write a novel set somewhere else, in the past, must be an EXTREMELY big challenge. And I do believe this team delivers on both scores. I found the setting, both temporally and geographically, to be rather convincing.

[sadya]

No, I don't know these authors. I've read historical novels from Rutherfurd, Kostova (although about Dracula, there was much historical info about the different places in the book), Austen, the already mentioned Dickens and more authors like that.

 

I agree that it is difficult to write about a different era from your own. You have to know the mood of that time, about daily life, even little things people used, what wasn't invented yet, the way people in those times perceived the things we now consider in an entirely different way.

 

Thinking about that, Dickens and Austen for example wrote about their own era, only now their books are like historical novels for us since we live in a different time. People like the authors you mentioned and Rutherfurd really write about different times from their own.

[Maureen]

I learnt quite a lot about British History from Philppa Gregory's Tudor series.

[SueK]

Yes, I think you can learn a lot from a good historical novel. Some of my favourites have been Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series which were exceptional. I think other authors like Barbara Erskine, Sharon Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick are very good - and I believe have degrees in their chosen subject.

 

The problem today is that because there is so much information out there on the net, authors do have to be meticulous with their research or they can get ripped to pieces by critics for some blatant anachronism.

[sadya]

Some of the books I had read to my children in the past interestingly use anachronism to create an entirely new world in their books. Lemony Snicket comes to mind, when I read the series to my daughter, I was surprised how sometimes anachronisms were mixed in it to create an entirely different world. When done to serve a purpose and with the right style, it works.

 

But yeah, in a real historical novel which is supposed to show the society of a certain era, there can't be anachronisms.

I remember trying to write historical stories myself, I mostly failed utterly. One of my main errors? Anachronisms. Needless to say I never studied history, just enjoy reading history books and historical novels and never done real research. I have a lot of respect for people who write historical novels. It really requiers much more work and imagination than we realise when we open one of their books.

Edited May 9, 2011 by sadya

[shirley]

I don't think it has to be an historical book to learn about history.

 

I have just finished Waiting for Columbus, which was talking about Christopher Columbus, which I found very informative, and would like to read more about him and his travels.

[sadya]

True, but not all people enjoy non-fiction so historical fiction helps to make history interesting for them. I personally enjoy reading both historical fiction and just history books, depending on the topic, my children however don't like to read much history, so for them historical novels (and animations) are excellent to get to know more about history.

[Booknutt]

SueK I think you and myself must be soul mates I loved "Time's Legacy" Barbara Erskine's latest!

 

I do agree with sadya on the novels versus fact books, though. Novels are the option, for me.

 

I love history, but face me with a list of facts and figures, and it goes in one ear and out the other!

Of course, we have to choose our novels wisely, and read the author's comments too, for some are based on actual facts, and some have a bit of imagination added to zizz up the story a bit!

 

I have a theory too, on authors who write about historical times in other than their own home countries. Jules Watson is a good example. She writes novels of ancient Celtic times of Scotland and Ireland ("The White Mare" series, and a couple of other individual novels)but is herself Australian.

 

I wonder if in such cases, the author isn't actually channelling past life experiences?! It's a little off-topic, I know, but how else to explain such a desire to write engrossing "living" novels of historical times in a country not even their own?

[sadya]

Interesting theory. Some cultures are just fascinating and when people read much about those topics, it becomes more familiar, that could be another reason. Wonderful authors, to be able to do that!

[SueK]

SueK I think you and myself must be soul mates I loved "Time's Legacy" Barbara Erskine's latest!

 

 

I downloaded Time's Legacy onto my kindle (it was a good price at the time) but have yet to read it. It is a book I shall look forward when the time is right.

[willoyd]

How do you know the novel is accurate? So the author says they are being accurate, how reliable is that? I read a lot of historical fiction, but have to say I don't feel I learn much history from them, although they often inspire me to read up more about the period, at which point I enjoy tying in what the novel has said to the history. I'm also an avid reader of history non-fiction (am currently reading Robert Massie's Dreadnought for instance), many books of which are eminently readable, and anything but dry or tedious.

[Booknutt]

It's true we have to be a bit cautious in our choices of author, Willoyd.

 

Generally though, nowadays historical details are accurate - the internet helps the author do the research faster, and once a writer is successful, there's a team of backroom folks to help, too.

 

Most too, will add a bit at the back (or sometimes the front) detailing their research details, so we can know they at least have tried!

[sadya]

So true, historical info isn't always correct, same goes for movies, although sometimes they change it for the purpose of storytelling. However, if an historical novel will make someone read more about that era, then it has reached it's side goal so to speak. Main goal for many authors is to make people read your book and hopefully enjoy it and a side goal can be that they become more interested in the topics you touch upon in your novel.