Prompt Cast
The Power and Limitations of Historical Fiction
TLDR Historical fiction novels serve as a gateway to history and provide fresh perspectives on historical events, but their accuracy can vary. Authors must balance historical accuracy with storytelling and may explore alternative scenarios or use anachronism. However, the changing moral sense of what is acceptable in historical fiction today may limit the exploration of mainstream views from earlier periods.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Tom and Dominic discuss their differing opinions on historical fiction, with Tom expressing his lack of interest in novels set in historical periods and preferring to read actual history, while Dominic acknowledges that historical fiction was a gateway to his interest in history but has also shifted towards reading more non-fiction.
04:42
Historical fiction novels, such as those by Rosemary Sutcliffe and Hilary Mantel, can serve as a gateway to history and create a sense of good versus evil, but they also become historical artifacts themselves.
09:29
Historical fiction novels like Game of Thrones and Maurice Drouin's books provide a fresh and engaging perspective on historical events, even if they are not entirely accurate.
14:13
Historical fiction novels set in periods with existing novels are easier to write because authors can draw inspiration from those novels, but it becomes more challenging to write about periods where novels don't exist, like ancient Egypt.
19:13
The historical novel is influenced by the early 19th century literary form invented by Walter Scott, which is why many historical novels still have a similar style today, but some authors, like Lindsay Davis, use anachronism as a way to write about ancient Rome without worrying about finding a style appropriate to the period.
24:20
Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is considered the most influential historical novel in shaping popular understanding of the French Revolution, portraying it as a bloody and depraved period, and this image still persists today.
29:40
The responsibility of historical fiction writers is primarily to the artistic product of their novel, but there may be a distinction when dealing with recent subjects or traumatic events where fidelity to fact is expected, although an obsession with realism is not necessary and weaving in fantastical elements can enhance the story.
34:27
The danger of overwhelming research as a novelist and the importance of balancing historical accuracy with storytelling in historical fiction, with examples such as Hilary Mantel's heavy use of research and the humor and dynamic of Cervantes' Don Quixote as a novel about the tension between the past and the present.
39:36
Novels like Robert Harris' "Fatherland" and Kingsley Amis' "The Alteration" are examples of historical fiction that explore alternative historical scenarios, while novels like Kim Stanley Robinson's "Years of Rice and Salt" take a long-term perspective on historical events.
44:29
Looking back to the past and writing historical novels is inherently conservative, but authors tend to write about the past with love rather than horror, although there are exceptions like Defoe's record of the plague and Teller to Sitters.
49:30
The power of historical fiction lies in its ability to unsettle our understanding of fundamental notions like sex and gender, even if it may not accurately reflect historical perspectives, and the changing moral sense of what is acceptable in writing historical fiction today may limit the exploration of mainstream views from earlier periods.
54:31
The hosts discuss Antonia Fraser's book about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the enduring popularity of historical fiction.
Categories:
History
