Comments on Best Historical Fiction - page 5

Donna wrote: "Best of luck to you. This is the kind of thing that burns volunteers out. I'm done with this particular listopia. For the life of me I can't see why you didn't just start your own list instead of t..."

Donna readers appreciate your thoughtful responses to texts and your work in making the list serve everybody. It's clear your knowledge is broad as well as specific.

Itala T. wrote: "Donna wrote: "Best of luck to you. This is the kind of thing that burns volunteers out. I'm done with this particular listopia. For the life of me I can't see why you didn't just start your own lis..."
Thank you.

If you like historical fiction about gangsters or the 20s, you will love the Boardwalk Empire group so join the discussion today!

I agree. I was just about to make the same comment. Over half of these are not "historical fiction." They might be fiction set in historical times but they were written in their own eras. For that reason I have chosen not to vote for some very fine novels.

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Good point, Charlotte.

For example, I love Pride and Prejudice, but I didn't vote for it, as it is not a historical novel - Jane Austen was writing about her own time."

Just because a book is about the past does not mean it is historical fiction. I believe that a book which recreates an era, a place, an event or events--fictional or true--authentically is historical fiction. So while I loved many of the books on this list, they did not fit my definition. There is no judgment here, but I organize my own reading to protect my sanity. The older you are, the more you have read. Too many books floating around in my head!

Leslie wrote: "Just because a book is about the past does not mean it is historical fiction. I believe that a book which recreates an era, a place, an event or events--fictional or true--authentically is historic..."

Yes, I have same reaction, Leslie. I organize reading: only writers who respect main lines of history, or make an obvious riff on it, not an obfuscation that confuses people who don t use other sources of information (M. Amis or P Roth, but not D Brown!) Biases are exploited by "historical" writers-- fine. if that's made clear. Mainly, do not embroider history if you don't know it well... Mary Magdalen going to France, daemons hidden in the Vatican: whereas an alternative reconstruction can be provocative, as in M. Cunningham or Philip Roth.

I think historical fantasy is getting mixed up with the notion of historical fiction - and Jane Austen absolutely did not write historical fiction, even if it may seem like a historical setting to us.

Elizabeth wrote: "I think historical fantasy is getting mixed up with the notion of historical fiction - and Jane Austen absolutely did not write historical fiction, even if it may seem like a historical setting to us."

Good distinction, Elizabeth. Maybe fantasy category should be added to cover of books like Brown's Inferno, Angel and Daemons, that do not respect historical facts, or make it clear they are a game.

What a wonderful torrent of discourse! I come away informed and glad that some of my favourites are on this list e.g. I Claudius...but don't forget Colleen McCullough's Roman series. My own books definitely conform to the definition of HF, and you can download them from xynobooks.com

is not in any way historical fiction. It is a true story--that's why it is so powerful. She was a living, breathing human being whose cells have been used for an amazing number of research projects.

Christina wrote: " is not in any way historical fiction. It is a true story--that's why it is so powerful. She was a living, breathing human being whose cell..."

Thank you for telling me about this book I will read it.
Should just switch to history. Twelve Years a Slave, Tales of Genji, My Prisons, though for an imaginative reconstruction Wolf Hall, Name of the Rose, all of Iain Pears

Christina wrote: " is not in any way historical fiction. It is a true story--that's why it is so powerful. She was a living, breathing human being whose cell..."

Christina wrote: " is not in any way historical fiction. It is a true story--that's why it is so powerful. She was a living, breathing human being whose cell..."
Thank you Christina. I will read it. Maybe should just stick to history: Twelve Years a Slave, My Prisons, Huizinga's History of the Middle Ages, Adams' St Michel and Chartres, Wickham's Early Medieval Italy,
Though reconstruction and imagination like Hugo's, H Mandell's Iain Pears or A.Weir's, Paul Scott, JG Farrell's and Umberto Eco are treasures.

I thought Gone with the wind was one the greatest books of all time. Excellent.
Also, Cold Mountain, great book. excellent read and good movie as well.

I don't know if good read carries Danielle Steel novels, but they are great as well. Have a great deal of her books in my personal library.

Maxine wrote: "I don't know if good read carries Danielle Steel novels, but they are great as well. Have a great deal of her books in my personal library."

Are they not romance? Would not put them in historical fiction.

Jen wrote: "I don't think people are understanding what historical fiction is. If a book was written in the 1800's and it is based in that time frame, then would you consider it historical fiction? I would no..."

THANK YOU!

I personally feel that this book should be purged of all fantasy novels. They're not historical fiction, even if they are set in the past. For example none of the Outlander books should be on this list.

Agreed. It only confuses people who don t read or understand history...like most US residents.

Maxine wrote: "I don't know if good read carries Danielle Steel novels, but they are great as well. Have a great deal of her books in my personal library."

Danielle Steel is titillating, but hardly worth mentioning by serious readers of historical fiction.

I can't believe Bernard Cornwell's books aren't listed here. "The Grail Quest" series is one of the best historical fiction series I've ever read.

Brdemall wrote: "I can't believe Bernard Cornwell's books aren't listed here. "The Grail Quest" series is one of the best historical fiction series I've ever read."

Vote for them Brdemall - up there on the 'add books' tab!
:O)

Agreed! I also love the Richard Sharpe and le Batard series! Cornwell writes great characters. Best way to learn history.

Of Such Is The Kingdom, A Novel of Biblical Times

Of Such Is the Kingdom

Seriously? The secret life of bees and Water for elephants? It's not enough to be set at 'some point in history' to be considered historical fiction. As it is now such list is almost pointless :(

It's hard to believe that "The Help" was added to this list and 90 people voted for it! Would a librarian please remove The Help-90; Plain Truth-30; Speak-8; Fallen-3; A Dog's Purpose-2 from the list. (The # after title is # of people voting for it.)

You should delete All Outlander novels as well for not being historical fiction, either "Fantasy" or "Romance" or I would even classify it under "Erotica"...

Thanks to all for pointing out books that don't belong on the list - I'm removing them now! I also removed a ton of nonfiction from further down on the list.

I agree... Good explanation.

The Grapes of Wrath should be deleted, yes? I haven't read it, but the description says it's about the Great Depression and it was published in the 1930s.

Same with Of Mice and Men.

Snow Falling on Cedars, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Joy Luck Club all miss the 50-year mark. Schindler's List is non-fiction.

Sophie, thanks for the heads up on these books! I'm removing them.

Exodus should be deleted. It was written not all that long after the events it describes. Dr. Zhivago also should be removed.

Removed Rebecca which is not historical fiction. Removed a nonfiction work.

Sophie wrote: "Snow Falling on Cedars, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Joy Luck Club all miss the 50-year mark. Schindler's List is non-fiction."

Actually Schindler's List (also goes by Schindler's Ark) is fiction. A novel based on real people and real events. Many have shelved it as nonfiction, inaccurately....

who cares about terminology? This is a great "to be read" list

Wild Swans is non fiction, not historical fiction.

Please remove "Fallen" from this list. The setting of "Fallen" is today's world--certainly not over 50 years ago as the instructions state. Also, I don't think fallen angels have anything to do with history. It is Fantasy--not historical fiction. Tonight it is #1145. Thank you!

My favorite books are and have been since high school, historical novels. And of those, my favorites are and always have been the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. I like his other books, too. Though many authors have been inspired by these books, my favorite of those is Bernard Cornwell.

Why does the list start with 101? where are the top 100?

Since Amazon bought GoodReads I would like them to bring their listmania that they discontinued back and put it on here. These lists are too watered down. Memoirs of a Geisha should not be the #1 book for historical fiction. I'm not an expert in this genre but there has to be better. In Listmania everyone could make their own lists. If I liked other books someone else liked then chances were good that I would like their recommendations.

A Discovery of Witches should not be on this list (as much as I liked this book - it's not historical fiction) - they don't go "back in time" until the second book. Or am I remembering the book incorrectly . . . . .

I voted for what I liked - call it what you will.

Most of the books on this list are not historical fiction. Whoever compiled the list doesn't know the difference between historical fiction and period fiction.

Anya Seton should be on this list. I'm working my way through all of her books that I was able to get on Amazon.

Ross Poldark
I've added this book because it's obviously historic fiction: 18th century Cornwall, but written in the 20th century. It's uncommon in its depiction of mining culture and the clash between classes--what it meant to be poor, but descended from a family that once had money vs. poor in a family that had always been poor.

Hi. Lots on this list that is non-fiction, or not historical in the manner that the list says it should be (To be deemed historical, a novel must have been written at least fifty years after the events described.), Twilight is on the list, for instance.

Thank you.

I hope goodreads would allow us to search books within a list.

Courtney wrote: "Is it historical fiction if it was contemporary at the time it was written? Some stuff on this list really confused me."

No it isn't. There is a lot of books on this list that aren't historical fiction (including some which aren't even fiction!).