Historical Accuracy in your Romance?

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 7:15 pm

Nice discussion on this topic going on over at Amazon if anyone cares to join in.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 8:17 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Nice discussion on this topic going on over at Amazon if anyone cares to join in.[/quote]

I went over and posted a couple of times but I think it's probably best if I sit on my hands to control them.

LCW, I've seen yours and I agree all the way - way to go girl! I also notice that the discussion has come full circle back to the 'If I want historical accuracy in my books, I'll read nonfiction' comment.
(bangs head on desk several times and sobs).
While I was over there looking, I noticed another thread for the most ridiculous scene you have ever read in a romance novel. Boy oh boy. Reading those made me realise I definitely wasn't in Kansas.

Not for the squeamish or innocent I warn you. I am not easily grossed out, but I am now....
http://www.amazon.com/tag/romance/forum ... tagsDetail

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 9:26 pm

I saw the other thread but I've been at work and haven't had a chance to read all the way through. There's a similar thread about if I want history I'll read a non-fiction book going on over at the HF boards.

If they're so concerned about accuracy they should be reading history books and scholarly journals, not novels.

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 9:33 pm

I enjoyed reading both those threads. It's good to see some thoughtful discussion about historical romance.

Btw, I was quite taken with the word "vomitrocious" - it might have a future!

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 9:45 pm

I dont see why good trashy romance books cant have historical accurate detail to them. How hard is it to put the girls in the proper clothes or how people interacted with one another. I guess thats not romantic.

ellenjane · Post by **ellenjane** » Tue November 25th, 2008, 10:13 pm

Everyone's very hung up on body odor and dirt, aren't they? Because "historical accuracy" is clearly the same thing as describing how gross and smelly everyone is in excruciating detail throughout the entire novel.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Wed November 26th, 2008, 5:26 am

Good point.

Maybe for some thats the only type of historical accuracy they can think of. I think that comes from a lack of understanding or wanting to understand history.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed November 26th, 2008, 12:14 pm

Romance books should not be lumped into one big pile. They aren't all just bodice rippers with a thin plot for the main purpose of people hopping in and out of bed. There are readers where that is all they are looking for in a book, and then there are other readers who want a bit more. To each his own. LOL, I've seen people on that board complain about Gellis because they were so bored with all the pages of historical detail she put in.

I posted on a historical romance thread at Goodreads and mentioned my Books that are too good for straight romance List and I got two snarky comments from a couple of posters who took issue with the word "straight".

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 4:19 pm

I will say I appreciated how Dewey Lambdin approached it in one of his "Alan Lewrie" books, an English Navy series set in the Napoleonic Wars. Mr. Lewrie delights in playing with the underarm hair of his (female) lover whilst shagging. Just Mr. Lambdin's way of saying, "Hey, they didn't shave until a bit later and the men obviously didn't mind it so much or we'd not have had any more generations."

But to write about body odor and dirt etcetera in a historical would be like pointing out in a contemporary fiction that everyone smells like Right Guard and fruity shampoo. We just don't notice because it's always there.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 8:40 pm

But to write about body odor and dirt etcetera in a historical would be like pointing out in a contemporary fiction that everyone smells like Right Guard and fruity shampoo. We just don't notice because it's always there.

Amen. I'm allergic to perfume, and if I wrote about the present from the perspective of my ideal future, people would be keeling over all the time from the oppressive odors!

Seriously, people have a lot more on their minds in any time period than the many superficial details that can be taken for granted. One of the things that can be tricky in writing about the past is that people had quite different perspectives than we do on things that have changed over time. For example, some of the movie stars we consider excessively thin would probably be referred to as "plump" in certain past eras. But if you have a character referring to someone else as plump, a modern reader will picture someone we would consider plump today.