Historical fiction has been my favourite genre since I read Gone With the Wind when I was fifteen. Of course, contemporary fiction can be equally exciting and compelling, but I just feel more comfortable when I’m ‘in the past’. Does anyone else feel that way? I enjoy reading about real historical figures and events, then being able to look them up on the internet or in another book and find more information about them. I’ve lost count of the number of interesting little facts that I’ve learned from reading historical fiction that I probably would never have heard about otherwise. Of course, it’s important to remember that these books are fiction and aren’t always 100% historically accurate, but in general they’re a fun and painless way to learn some history.
There are so many different ways an author can approach historical fiction, including time travel (Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series), to creating a fictional family that mirrors a historical one (Susan Howatch uses this technique in Penmarric, Cashelmara and Wheel of Fortune). There are historical romances, historical mysteries and historical adventure stories. There are novels set in almost any historical period you can think of from pre-history (Jean M Auel’s Earth’s Children series) to the Tudor court (Philippa Gregory) to as recent as World War II (Paullina Simon’s Bronze Horseman trilogy). Even if the book is about a historical period or topic that you’re not really interested in, a good historical fiction writer will bring the history to life for you.
Finally, historical fiction novels are often, though not always, long – and I love long books! I always find myself drawn to ‘epic sagas’, complete with maps and family trees.
Here are a few of my favourite historical fiction books:
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Katherine by Anya Seton
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
Cross Stitch/Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Physician by Noah Gordon
Penmarric by Susan Howatch
Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
North and South by John Jakes
Why do you enjoy reading historical fiction? Or if you don’t, why not?
This post was written for the 2010 Blog Improvement Project Week 2: Pumping Up Post Titles
She Reads Novels 
I love historical fiction too, Helen. I went through a Tudor phases last year and devoured lots of books from that era. I also love Tracy Chevaliers books as they are all set in history (various times). I love that you learn something from them too. The sign of a great author, for me, is when you feel totally immersed in the period that the book is set – you’re actually there with them. Ahh, you’ve got me thinking now – what shall I read next?
Great post.
I love historical fiction too, Helen. I went through a Tudor phases last year and devoured lots of books from that era. I also love Tracy Chevaliers books as they are all set in history (various times). I love that you learn something from them too. The sign of a great author, for me, is when you feel totally immersed in the period that the book is set – you’re actually there with them. Ahh, you’ve got me thinking now – what shall I read next?
Great post.
I totally agree with what you said about historical fiction being a painless way to learn some history. That is exactly how I feel about it. My love of historical fiction is actually what made me start taking history classes.
I love mysteries and historical fiction. I never really thought about historical fiction until I started writing one – I still have no idea what made me do it but it’s been so much fun (and frustrating) to do the research. It’s interesting, sometimes I have to leave a word, phrase or item out of my manuscript because it sounds too modern even though it actually existed years before my story takes place.
I agree that the author can make history come alive even if you have no interest in the time period – or should I say, had no interest in the time period until you read the book. I just finished Zorro, A Novel written in 2005 and it took my breath away. The culture, the ideas, the language, even the modes of transportation and hygiene suddenly became fascinating.
I also enjoy historical fiction for the same reason I like sci-fi – it takes me further away from my reality and deeper into the story because the setting is so far removed from my way of life. I get to jump right in with both feet as opposed to contemporary fiction (which I love, too) in which I find myself “getting into the book”.
What a great post, Helen!
Oh yes…I adore historical fiction! And for pretty much the same reasons you do. I first fell in love with it, as you did, by reading Gone with the Wind in high school. I also credit Clan of the Cave Bear by Auel and Chesapeake by James Michener, which I also read as a teen, for instilling a love for the genre. Some of my most favorites are Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Follett, London by Edward Rutherford, Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell. I started Sarum awhile back and put it down…not because I didn’t like it. I just got distracted into reading something else. ADD reading…gotta love it! LOL!
Boof – I haven’t read any Tracy Chevalier books yet but have heard some good things about them. Thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
Ash – Yes, it’s amazing how much you can learn through reading historical fiction, isn’t it? Even the small details about clothing, food, games etc help us understand how people used to live.
Live Out Loud – I haven’t read Zorro, A Novel but it sounds great. Another one to add to the wishlist. 🙂
Michelle – I’ve read all of Edward Rutherfurd’s books apart from his newest one, New York. I’ve learned such a lot from them. I’ve been meaning to read James Michener’s books for a long time because I’m sure I’d like them too, but I just haven’t got round to it yet.
Helen – I think there are a lot of Zorro books out there. This one is written by Isabel Allende, just so you know!
Great post – I also love historical fiction, but I don’t read it as often as I used to (or as often as I should – to learn!)…
I also loved the Jakes’s North and South trilogy and Pillars of the Earth!
The Civil War trilogy (Gods and Generals, The Killer Angels and The Last Full Measure) by Michael and Jeff Shaara is probably my favorite group of historical books. Have you read them, by chance?
James Michener and Leon Uris are two more of my favorites – in fact, Uris’s Trinity is in my Top 5 of all time!
Greg – I haven’t read the Michael and Jeff Shaara books, or Trinity either. I’ll have to check them out. Thanks!
I like historical fiction as it helps me get a sense of what it was like to live in the past-too many times you will read a biography of a famous person from past centuries and you will hear about their great deeds but you will have no feel for how they lived-what did they eat, what did they wear, how did they relate to their children and spouse etc-the best historical novels give us this
I agree, Mel. I like to read about the little details of their lives – it gives me a better understanding of the period.