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Historical Novels for People New to Historical Fiction

For discussions of historical fiction. Threads that do not relate to historical fiction should be started in the Chat forum or elsewhere on the forum, depending on the topic.
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Madeleine
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 5860
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: "Mania" by L J Ross
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Post by Madeleine » Sun July 5th, 2009, 2:20 pm

I think probably Daphne du Maurier was one of my first HF novellists, with a few Catherine Cooksons as well (although her books just tend to be set in the not too distant past, not sure whether they'd classify as proper HF), then Barbara Erskine with the dual time frame, and then about 5 years ago I started to get into historical crime, but I think the one that really got me started in my current HF phase was probably that old chestnut, The Other Boleyn Girl, and then I started to notice books by the likes of EC and Sharon Penman, although most of them are still on tbr piles!
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross

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donroc
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 858
Joined: August 2008
Location: Winter Haven, Florida
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Post by donroc » Sun July 5th, 2009, 2:41 pm

The seeds were sown when I was nine after I received my 4-volume set of the Pyle Scribners edition of King Arthur. After that in pre-adolelescence, were Dumas' Musketeers, Scott's Ivanhoe and The Talisman, and Doyle's The White Company. In my early and mid-teens, I voraciously read Sabatini, Shellabarger, Yerby, the American Winston Churchill, Forever Amber, and every other HF available.
Last edited by donroc on Sun July 5th, 2009, 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image

Bodo the Apostate, a novel set during the reign of Louis the Pious and end of the Carolingian Empire.

http://www.donaldmichaelplatt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZthhY6 ... annel_page

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Divia
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4435
Joined: August 2008
Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Sun July 5th, 2009, 4:45 pm

I read Alcott as a child, but she isnt historical fiction. Although she got me interested in the time period.

I think in recent years it would be Pope Joan and TOGB.
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

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Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Post by Margaret » Sun July 5th, 2009, 6:12 pm

TOGB, Divia? As soon as you tell me, I'm sure I'll say "Of course!"

I'm so glad I asked! This is so interesting.

Do any of you read and enjoy historical novels now that you think would not have enjoyed earlier, when you were not familiar with historical novels?

I'd love to hear from some people who do not usually post, as well as from those who do!
Last edited by Margaret on Sun July 5th, 2009, 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

Eigon
Reader
Posts: 126
Joined: September 2008
Location: Hay-on-Wye, Town of Books
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Post by Eigon » Sun July 5th, 2009, 7:11 pm

It's very difficult for me to imagine a time when I didn't read historical fiction. I grew up on Rosemary Sutcliff, Geoffrey Trease, Henry Treece, and later Mary Renault and Mary Stewart. Now I read Dorothy Dunnett, Sharon Penman, Lindsay Davis' Falco books....

Science fiction was the one I had trouble with. I loved Star Trek and all the Gerry Anderson shows on TV, but the only book labelled SF in the junior school library (7 - 11 years old) was a pretty dire book of short stories, and I didn't know that anything else existed. Later, of course, I discovered Asimov, and Anne McCaffrey's Pern books (dragons and alien planets!) and I was away!

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ellenjane
Reader
Posts: 101
Joined: September 2008

Post by ellenjane » Sun July 5th, 2009, 7:15 pm

I think TOGB = TOBG = The Other Boleyn Girl.

When I was about 12-13 and just exploring my mom's bookshelf, I really enjoyed Anne Merton Abbey (don't remember which one offhand) and "The Physician" by Noah Gordon. Both have a healthy blend of actual history and fantastical imaginings, whether they're supernatural or simply stretching the boundaries of what would have been believable during the period they're writing about. I

My husband doesn't read much fiction at all, but he really enjoyed "The Alienist," by Caleb Carr. I'd probably recommend that one to anyone who's interested in the genre.

My patience for historical detail has increased since the days when I first started reading historical fiction. I used to strongly prefer books about "regular people," but now I am happy to sort through court intrigue and battles. My mom and I enjoy many of the same novels, but she can't make it through Sharon Kay Penman, while I love it.

ETA: While lying in bed last night, I realized that I meant Judith Merkle Riley, not Anne Merton Abbey, although I'm sure I would have enjoyed "Kathryn in the Court of Six Queens" quite a lot at 13!
Last edited by ellenjane on Tue July 7th, 2009, 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: thought of something!

chuck
Bibliophile
Posts: 1073
Joined: August 2008
Location: Ciinaminson NJ

Post by chuck » Sun July 5th, 2009, 7:55 pm

As a young lad I had a subscription to "Classic Comics" books...Pictures and condensed reading....somehow those great comics held my interest and fed into my short attention span.....Those Comics opened the world of HF for me...."King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Ivanhoe, Last of the Mohicans, The Count of Monte Cristo" Sherlock Holmes etc...BY the age of 12, I was tracking many of those books down at my local library and then lo and behold I discovered Reference Librarians...They were very friendly and recommended so many great HF novels.....They got me into all the Classic Comic book reads....This time they included great illustrations by N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle and others.......I still love good illustrations in books....I remember the old adage "never judge a book by it's cover" easier said then done....Book Covers still have some influence on me....especially if I read them in public.....Over the years Covers have improved.....Sorry....I'm off track....

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Divia
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4435
Joined: August 2008
Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Sun July 5th, 2009, 11:01 pm

[quote=""Margaret""]TOGB, Divia? As soon as you tell me, I'm sure I'll say "Of course!"

[/quote]

TOBG. :o Sorry. I can't type.
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

User avatar
Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Post by Margaret » Sun July 5th, 2009, 11:22 pm

LOL, Divia. You're totally forgiven. And yes, I should have guessed what it meant!
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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Misfit
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 9581
Joined: August 2008
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by Misfit » Mon July 6th, 2009, 12:02 am

[quote=""chuck""]As a young lad I had a subscription to "Classic Comics" books...Pictures and condensed reading....somehow those great comics held my interest and fed into my short attention span.....Those Comics opened the world of HF for me...."King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Ivanhoe, Last of the Mohicans, The Count of Monte Cristo" Sherlock Holmes etc...BY the age of 12, I was tracking many of those books down at my local library and then lo and behold I discovered Reference Librarians...They were very friendly and recommended so many great HF novels.....They got me into all the Classic Comic book reads....This time they included great illustrations by N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle and others.......I still love good illustrations in books....I remember the old adage "never judge a book by it's cover" easier said then done....Book Covers still have some influence on me....especially if I read them in public.....Over the years Covers have improved.....Sorry....I'm off track....[/quote]


Chuck, what fond memories those comic books and a sad tale for me. My brothers and I had inherited a great collection of them in the 60's from our much older cousins (along with quite a few Superman/Supergirl, et al issues). Unfortunately during one of our moves mom didn't want to pack them along and sold them off for peanuts (along with my barbie-doll clothes hand made by grandma). What they would sell for now....
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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