Help! Historical Fiction for my Book Club

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Tue September 14th, 2010, 6:45 pm

Lynne Reid Bank's Dark Quartet about the Bronte family. It was a triology when I read it with inidividual names but I think it is now sold in one volume under the title Dark Quartet. There is also the Elizabeth Gaskell book about Charlotte - but I can't remember the name.

rockygirl · Post by **rockygirl** » Wed September 15th, 2010, 11:12 pm

[quote=""Elizabeth""]

Laura Joh Rowland, who writes the excellent Sano Ichiro mysteries (17th century Japan) has just begun a new series featuring Charlotte Bronte, beginning with The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte.

[/quote]

I thought of this one right away, too. It's a fascinating book, and so different from her Sano Ichiro books. I didn't know it was going to be a series--glad to hear that!

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Thu September 16th, 2010, 10:39 am

I'd recommend Arthur and George by Julian Barnes, about Arthur Conan Doyle. It covers his whole life, but with special focus on the Edalji case.

I really enjoyed The Master, the one about Henry James, but I'd avoid The Hours, unless you want to end up feeling like cutting your own head off with a blunt knife.

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Thu September 16th, 2010, 11:53 am

[quote=""SGM""]Lynne Reid Bank's Dark Quartet about the Bronte family. It was a triology when I read it with inidividual names but I think it is now sold in one volume under the title Dark Quartet. There is also the Elizabeth Gaskell book about Charlotte - but I can't remember the name.[/quote]

The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell. It's a fascinating book - the two women knew each other well - but it is a biography and not a novel.

WhispofMemory · Post by **WhispofMemory** » Thu September 16th, 2010, 3:38 pm

I'd recommend Arthur and George by Julian Barnes, about Arthur Conan Doyle. It covers his whole life, but with special focus on the Edalji case.

I really enjoyed The Master, the one about Henry James, but I'd avoid The Hours, unless you want to end up feeling like cutting your own head off with a blunt knife.

Thank you for that suggestion! I keep on going through my list, replacing things with other choices. My assistant suggested we not explore something we've dealt with so recently so I'm removing the Brontes. I think I will replace Virginia Woolf with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Thu September 16th, 2010, 4:34 pm

I loved Arthur and George! It's about time Julian Barnes wrote another book. I've just looked on Fantastic Fiction and it looks like he has a collection of stories coming out next year - Pulse.