Historical Fiction Fans Group at eNotes

In reply to #9: I agree with your stance about this. I think authors...

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:07:10 PST

In reply to #9: I agree with your stance about this. I think authors who've lived in the time periods they write about are the most credible and believable. It would be, in my opinion, much easier and more credible to write about something one knows. I've always taught my students, for example, to write about what they know in the majority of their essays (although I do know they'll write about things they do not know much about and have...

Well, I'll take the bullet on this one and toss in good ol' Sir Walter...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:54:57 PST

Well, I'll take the bullet on this one and toss in good ol' Sir Walter Scott. Muscle your way through the first interminable 80 pages of Waverly, and it's really a great read--love, rebellion, disillusionment, and a high body count.

I would add The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Great story about less...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:22:23 PST

I would add The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Great story about less discussed names from the Bible.

In reply to #14: Master and Commander is a great one! Really exciting...

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:51:34 PST

In reply to #14: Master and Commander is a great one! Really exciting stuff. They even did a good job with the movie. As for the Alienist, you definitely have to be a fan of detective novels and have the stomach for some gruesome stuff. If that's your cup of tea, give it another chance, but if not you won't like it at all. There are some very disturbing historical revelations about New York during that time! We think of today being a violent...

In reply to #13: I have tried to read The Alienist, but I couldn't get...

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:39:33 PST

In reply to #13: I have tried to read The Alienist, but I couldn't get into it. Maybe you can persuade me to give it another try!

I'll third Grendel, that was my top choice, historical fiction or not....

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:27:00 PST

I'll third Grendel, that was my top choice, historical fiction or not. :) I'm not really all that in to historical fiction, but I do enjoy these three. I couldn't think of 5. :(1. Jack White's Templar Trilogy 2. The King Must Die - Mary Renault3. Master and Commander -Patrick O'Brian

I am a fan of E.L. Doctorow's work, such as Ragtime. I also like Caleb...

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:15:32 PST

I am a fan of E.L. Doctorow's work, such as Ragtime. I also like Caleb Carr-- has anyone read "The Alienist"? Fascinating portrayal of New York City during the 19th Century.

Reply to #8 and #9. The main characters in the OUTLANDER series are...

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:06:10 PST

Reply to #8 and #9. The main characters in the OUTLANDER series are also up to their elbows in the action and closely involved. In order to make it believeable and enjoyable (for me at least) the sense of urgency and immediacy created by an involved narrator makes the book great.I love Catch-22, but didn't think of it as historical fiction until just now. :)

In reply to #10: I love Cornwell's book about the building of...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:59:06 PST

In reply to #10: I love Cornwell's book about the building of Stonehenge. I have a couple of his other books but haven't read them yet. If you like Margaret George, you have to read The Memoirs of Cleopatra. She has written a book about Helen of Troy too.

I like Bernard Cornwell's books, including his Grail Quest series and...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:41:00 PST

I like Bernard Cornwell's books, including his Grail Quest series and his Anglo-Saxon series. He's also the author of the Sharpe series, but I haven't read those. I also have enjoyed Margaret George's books on Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry VIII. Although those are about real people, I would still put them under "historical fiction" because they are definitely NOT biographies.

In reply to #8: Completely disagree. Steinbeck was adamant in his...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:20:17 PST

In reply to #8: Completely disagree. Steinbeck was adamant in his letters and journals to capture history "as it happened" and was very concerned that he "get it right." I don't see why an author must be far removed from historical "fact" in order to write historical fiction. Same is true of Heller, IMO.

I wouldn't include Grapes of Wrath and Catch-22 in the category of...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:54:48 PST

I wouldn't include Grapes of Wrath and Catch-22 in the category of historical fiction. I think the author needs to be far removed from the era in which the novel is set, and I think the Depression was during Steinbeck's lifetime; the same goes for Heller and Cooper.

In reply to #6: Whoops. I guess I lost my train of thought when...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:38:33 PST

In reply to #6: Whoops. I guess I lost my train of thought when agreeing to the Grendel (though it is fabulous). As for an official definition, my thinking is that the work is based on actual characters or events. Some combine both, like Alex Haley's Roots. Others, like Heller, take an event and add fictional characters (his an almalgam of his own experiences and those of his friends.) Cooper I would defend on the basis of his...

In reply to #4: I am somewhat confused, I was under the impression that...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:17:59 PST

In reply to #4: I am somewhat confused, I was under the impression that historical fiction is a fictionalized re-telling of actual events, and the main characters are notable people from history. Most of your choices would fall into this category, but not all. What is the definition of Historical Fiction, if there is one?

In reply to #2: I'll second Grendel!http://www.enotes.com/grendel

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:23:56 PST

In reply to #2: I'll second Grendel!http://www.enotes.com/grendel

Here's a shocker at #1, coming from me...1. Grapes of Wrath by John...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:22:59 PST

Here's a shocker at #1, coming from me...1. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (http://www.enotes.com/grapes)2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (http://www.enotes.com/catch22)3. Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper (http://www.enotes.com/last-mohicans)4. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (http://www.enotes.com/time-butterflies)5. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron...

Here are my 5:1. Katherine by Anya Seton2. Forever Amber by Kathleen...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:13:25 PST

Here are my 5:1. Katherine by Anya Seton2. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (because it was the first one I read)3.The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George4. The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley5. Everything written by Jean Plaidy--ok, that's a couple of dozen books, but if you love English history, you MUST read her books. She starts with William I and goes all the way to Victoria.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but OUTLANDER series by Diana...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:17:59 PST

I hate to sound like a broken record, but OUTLANDER series by Diana Gabaldon is amazing. Phillipa Gregory and her series on the Tudors including The Other Bolyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover are also very fun.John Gardner's Grendel is also wonderful.

Top 5 Historical Fiction Books

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:04:37 PST

Hi Guys, great group! What do you think are your top 5 favorite books in the genre?

I LOVE historical fiction. One of my favorite series that fit into...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:52:05 PST

I LOVE historical fiction. One of my favorite series that fit into this category is the Diana Gabaldon OUTLANDER series. It is wonderful. I don't mind if the author stretches details too much...it is historical FICTION. The story is based on true events and possibly people, but it is not necessarily the report of that specific event or person.Remember, good readers to skip ahead, skim pages, and generally move on if there is a...