Do you read historical fiction? I’ve always enjoyed it and recently I was e-interviewed by a PhD student from Macquarie University in Sydney. The topic of her research is Historical Fictions and Perceptions of History, and her questions stirred me to think about why I read historical fiction. I had previously thought of this genre as historical romance, with romance meaning a story, not necessarily a love story.
Memoirs and biographies are also historical, and while they’re not usually classed as fiction they may have some fictional elements, as two people writing about the same event will sometimes have quite different perceptions of it. I’m always interested in social history, the stories of people, rather than the larger areas of governments and wars.
Historical fiction helps me to understand my place in the world. If it’s history I have some familiarity with, it’s affirming of my knowledge. If it’s new to me, it’s stimulating and educational. I’ve always enjoyed historical stories, but when I was in the 5th form we had a history teacher who lacked confidence and I’m now ashamed to say we gave her a hard time and she sometimes left the classroom in tears. My school certificate history exam did not go well and I achieved only a D pass (32%, with higher marks in my other five subjects). Part of the curriculum covered the 2nd World War which I found boring. It was just a year or two later I discovered the Gregory Sallust series by Dennis Wheatley and thought how much more I’d have enjoyed the lessons if I’d been told to read these beforehand.
Sometimes I find historical fiction on the Recently Returned shelves at the Library. Once I’ve read and enjoyed one book I usually seek more by the same author. I also get recommendations from friends, and I read reviews.
I’m inclined to believe the historical facts I read. and I’m always pleased to see a bibliography, and maybe an afterword, that indicates the author has done research. I also enjoy historical films and television programmes, such as Downton Abbey and The Crown, but my preference is for novels because they can conveniently be read at any time and place, including in bed. There are so many historical novels, including mysteries, that I wondered whether it might be the most popular genre of fiction, but Google suggests that is Mystery/Crime. I guess historical mysteries are the ideal!
I love a book of history
especially one with mystery
Ruth's Reflections 
Writing from a historical perspective requires dedication. The life and times need to accurately reflect the events, processes and values that existed then. Characters must also reflect a “felt life”. For example, if you write about a political figure, clearly there are events that took place on a daily basis. There are processes for decision making and a political structure in which the events take place, There’s the socio-historical context. How these impact on the protagonist and how she/he manages them is what gives the character life.
I find when I look at photographs and newspaper or magazine articles and editorials of the time, especially if I have lived through them at a younger age, I can actually feel the times in my body- a heaviness and texture surges through me. It’s not just being taken back. It’s also the feel of my posture, and living in that space with those rules and laws that is captured. A writer immerses in all these aspects, even if writing outside of their lifetime. That’s why I love historical writing as it captures a complexity that makes me reflect on now. That’s why novels like Mandy Hager’s Heloise and Rebecca Macfie’s (sic) Helen Kelly work are such rich offerings for the reader. The research both women did took them years, and used rich resources including real letters written at the time. The trick is to choose what events to highlight, and to link themes together for a narrative. Writers can’t include everything- what is left out is as intriguing as what is emphasized. That’s enough of a rant! You struck a chord, Ruth!
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That’s a great explanation, Horomaka.
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