Scandalmonger (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: William Safire
- First Published: 2000
- Type of Work: Novel
- Time of Work: 1792-1803
- Setting: Northeastern United States and Virginia
- Principal Characters: James Thomson Callender, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Cobbett, John Beckley, Maria Reynolds Clement
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: Virginia, History, United States or Americans, Politics, Nineteenth century, Eighteenth century, Newspapers, Presidents
- Locales: Virginia, Northeast (U.S.)
The debate over the proper relationship between history and fiction in revealing or recasting the past has occupied both historians and literary critics since Sir Walter Scott published Waverley: Or, Tis Sixty Years Since in 1814. However, while the question of what constitutes a “historical novel” has long been the subject of discussion among critics, readers have shown consistent affinity for fictional works that recreate the past in order to entertain and educate. Most historical novels follow a simple formula: A series of fictional characters form the main interest in a...
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