Top Ten Tuesday: Genre Freebie- Historical Fiction Eras I've Never Read About

 

For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, the topic was a "genre freebie." So of course I have to post about my favorite genre: historical fiction. It's a very busy time right now....school, baseball, band, etc....so this week I needed to be short and sweet as I'm low on time! But I wanted to post on this topic because I just know my fellow bloggers will jump in and make it fun by giving me the books they've read set in these eras to broaden my reading. So here are the time periods I have never, ever read about in fiction. Give me all the books you recommend!

1. Pre-1066 Norman Invasion- I have not read anything prior to the conquest of England by William the Conqueror. It is not an era that appeals to me...the whole "Last Kingdom" time. I'm sure there are some great books about it though. Circa....600-1000 Britain.

2. Ancient Greece- Maybe I've never looked hard enough but there seems to be a shortage of good historical fiction for this time period. Or maybe it's because it's all battles and blood and not so much people. But surely I'm missing something!

3. Napoleonic Wars- On my Classics Club list I have a goal to read War and Peace but haven't been able to find a lot from this time period that interests me yet. 

4. Ancient Egypt- The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George is the only book coming to mind that I've considered reading from this era. 

5. Irish Republican Army conflict- I am sure there are some fabulous books about this topic/era that I'm missing. 

6. Korean War- There is not a single book that springs to mind about this time period. It's often forgotten in the world of novels. 

7. Scotland prior to 1300's- Pre- Robert the Bruce time period I haven't seen much but there are probably some books there.

8. The Roaring Twenties- Now full disclaimer....I have read The Great Gatsby which would technically fall during this time period. But other than that one, I can't recall another historical fiction book in this category. 

9. 1400-1600's Italy- I know there are some great books about this period. Jean Plaidy has a series of novels about the DeMedici family and I'm sure there are lots more but I haven't tackled this era yet.

10. Pre- Crusdades Middle East- Wow...now this would be a great era to know more about through fiction. I would love to know more about the stories of those living there prior to 1100 when their world changed with the coming of the Franks.

Why I Love Historical Fiction

 

In my review of Gone With the Wind I stated that it was the greatest novel of all time. I read it (or at least tried to) for the first time when I was twelve years old and it really stuck with me. I was also just crazy about a series called Sunfire that featured different time periods with the main character living through an important event.  So it kind of surprises me that throughout my twenties and thirties I not only didn't read historical fiction, I actually loathed most of it. I recall searching for books and scorning the ones that weren't actual history books or biographies. I ate up true crime, politics, and courtroom dramas like the ones written by John Grisham. And I still think all of those books added deep knowledge and value to my life. But I just couldn't bring myself to read anything considered both historical and fiction. Fast forward fifteen to twenty years and now it is practically all I read. 

I used to think the dialogue and character interactions were cheesy. And sometimes in certain books they are. I also used to be frustrated with the idea that the historical figures didn't actually say or do some of the things in the book. The idea that real live human beings that lived years ago were talking to fictional characters drove me nuts! It just felt so.....wrong. I mean, if it wasn't all true then what on earth was the point? Wasn't I reading to learn something? The "fiction" part of historical fiction was what made me ignore the genre for years. I just couldn't accept the idea that something in the book didn't really happen. When I started reading Outlander that all changed because I'd finally found a book that incorporated history with characters that were compelling enough on their own to make me want to see what happened to them.

And that is the key I think to good historical fiction. It's that perfect balance between using the backdrop of a real historical event to plop down people (real or otherwise) who are themselves engaged in interesting enough drama to want to know their story as well as the history they are living through. If either one of these elements are out of balance, it ruins the book. But when an author does this dance well it is the best kind of book.

Sometimes I've tried an historical fiction book and it is masquerading as a book set in a time period with almost nothing to distinguish it from the present day. Sure there are bits of language, culture, and scenery thrown in but very little. The characters often do things or say things no one would have said or done and it just comes off as insincere. When done well, good historical fiction transports you to the time in a way no non fiction history book can. And that is how I started to transform my dislike of historical fiction. I found that even if I knew a time period well through facts, I didn't really feel immersed in the era. Knowing someone behaved a certain way is very different than hearing it through created conversations, or becoming attached to characters as people instead of the subject of a biography. 

The irony of it all is that now I find it hard to go back to straight history books. I still enjoy "just the facts" but it feels kind of boring. I've let my imagination run free with historical fiction and now I can't get enough of it. The biggest problem I face is that there are so many books with so many sequels in this genre I will die before I read them all. I guess that's not a bad thing....I'll never run out of something great to read!  What do you think? Is historical fiction your favorite genre? Has the answer to this question changed over time for you too?