120 likes | 309 Views
An Overview. Historical Fiction. Beginnings of a Genre . Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley Publish in 1814 about 1745 Jacobite rebellion against British Crown. Scott attempted to accurately portray the background and qualities of ordinary people involved (the Scots).
E N D
An Overview Historical Fiction
Beginnings of a Genre • Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley • Publish in 1814 about 1745 Jacobite rebellion against British Crown. • Scott attempted to accurately portray the background and qualities of ordinary people involved (the Scots). • Subtitle “Tis Sixty Years Since” created original cutoff date for genre
Other Early Titles • Shakespeare's Hamlet • Goethe's Faust • Homer's Odyssey • These works are fictionalized retellings of events that occurred long before the author's time. • Today's novelists continue to revisit the same characters and themes, proving that the legacy of these ancient tales has endured.
Definition • Historical fiction presents readers with a story that takes place during a notable period in history, and usually during a significant event in that period. • Historical fiction often presents actual events from the point of view of people living in that time period.
Characteristics of Genre • Set in time remote enough from present to be considered history (30-60 years) • Author has not lived in time period – is at least one generation removed. • Historical facts blend with imaginary characters and plot
Characteristics Continued • Facts are • Actually historical events • Authentic period settings • Includes real historical figures • Common Forms • Main characters = fictional. Secondary = real • Past has social traditions, customs, and values of period. • May not mention actual events or people.
Classics • The Last of the Mohicans • James Fennimore Cooper • Red Badge of Courage • Stephan Crane • Tale of Two Cities • Charles Dickens
Classics Continued All is Quiet on the Western Front • Erich Maria Remarque The Grapes of Wrath • John Steinbeck To Kill a Mockingbird • Harper Lee
Other Popular Reads Flyboys by James Bradley Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley
Popular Historical Fiction • Memoirs of a Geisha • Arthur Golden • Mississippi Trial 1955 • Chris Crowe • Devil’s Arithmetic • Jane Yolen
More Recommendations WWII • Upstairs Roomby Johanna Reiss • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak • If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
How can I find a HF novel? • Go to the library and ask the librarian for recommendations. • Think about a particularevent in history you like and search the internet for novels. • Search the websites Mr. Andrus gives you. • Visit a bookstore and go to their Historical Fiction section (you are not required to purchase your book).