Historic Fiction

[Alexia]

Recent historical fiction is fine. I like Khaled Hosseini's work a lot, especially A Thousand Splendid Suns, and it ended in what, 2003? If historical events are crucial to the story, it counts. :)

On this basis, I'll recommend my favorite book, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Minstry. Its set in the time of Indira Ghandi in India (so 70s...ends in 84) and its just amazing. Anything by Rohinton Minstry is good but this particular book is excellent.

What do you recommend from Alvarez? I've read and liked In the Time of the Butterflies but haven't tried any of her other stuff.

Try How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Karen Zacarias adapted it into a play about two years ago) and Before We Were Free.

Definitely interested. :D Who else is good?

Try When I Was Puerto Rican, by Esmerelda Santiago. Queen of the South, by Arturo Perez Reverte (they are adapting it into a movie that I thoroughly expect to be bad but the book is really good). Drown, by Junot Diaz. The Way of the Jaguar, by Francisco Stork.

[Nearly Headless Ned]

Mary Stewarts The Crystal Cave is worht a look. Being about Merlin it obviously has fantastical traits but its sense of time and place is excellent. Though its been over 25 years since I read it.

[Zappster]

I'll also put in a plug for The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman. Not historical fiction but very funny, nonetheless.

Nice one. That sounds like a lot of fun, and I've been meaning to expand my reading horizons a bit. One question though. I noticed on wikipedia that it's apparently part of a trilogy. Do you need to have read the previous books beforehand? If so I might just start at the beginning, unless they're not as good?

[Alexia]

Nice one. That sounds like a lot of fun, and I've been meaning to expand my reading horizons a bit. One question though. I noticed on wikipedia that it's apparently part of a trilogy. Do you need to have read the previous books beforehand? If so I might just start at the beginning, unless they're not as good?

You know, I haven't read the rest of the trilogy yet, though I've been meaning to do so forever. My understanding is that they are set in the same world but not necessarily building on each other but take that with a grain of salt - I randomly picked the book up at the bookstore based on reading the back. Why not go ahead start with the first book if its not an impulse buy? ;)

[Liadin]

On this basis, I'll recommend my favorite book, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Minstry. Its set in the time of Indira Ghandi in India (so 70s...ends in 84) and its just amazing. Anything by Rohinton Minstry is good but this particular book is excellent.

Try How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Karen Zacarias adapted it into a play about two years ago) and Before We Were Free.

Try When I Was Puerto Rican, by Esmerelda Santiago. Queen of the South, by Arturo Perez Reverte (they are adapting it into a movie that I thoroughly expect to be bad but the book is really good). Drown, by Junot Diaz. The Way of the Jaguar, by Francisco Stork.

Awesome, I have not read any of these! Thank you! :read: :read:

Have you tried Waltari? :P

No, but based on an Amazon search her (?) books look like something I might enjoy. You recommend?

[Galactus]

Always. Start with The Egyptian and see if it's to your liking. It's one of my favourite books, personally.

[Bellis]

Koolkat, I just read Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It's set in the same time period as Shogun, though very different in style and feel. A lot less sex and seppuku. He's written another samurai epic as well - Taiko.

[wolverine]

Koolkat, I just read Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It's set in the same time period as Shogun, though very different in style and feel. A lot less sex and seppuku. He's written another samurai epic as well - Taiko.

That is one that has been on my shelf for a while, loved Shogun.

[Whitestripe]

I love, love, love Allende's work. :D I've enjoyed some Garcia Marquez...

I love her too! The writing is so lush. Don't much care for Garcia Marquez though.

[Galactus]

I love her too! The writing is so lush. Don't much care for Garcia Marquez though.

I thought one hundred years of solitude was excellent. Very weird, but excellent.

[Alexia]

I love her too! The writing is so lush. Don't much care for Garcia Marquez though.

Have you read Love in the Time of Cholera?

[Liadin]

Koolkat, I just read Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It's set in the same time period as Shogun, though very different in style and feel. A lot less sex and seppuku. He's written another samurai epic as well - Taiko.

Nice.

I thought one hundred years of solitude was excellent. Very weird, but excellent.

Agree. I thought it was a good book, but not life-changing for me like it apparently is for some people. Love in the Time of Cholera.... meh.

[TakLoufer]

You might want to try Sam Barone, written the recent Eskkar saga, tells about mankinds struggle in creating and maintaining the world's first walled city.

I was disappointed. Barone obviously didn't do his research, what with cavalry in 3000 BC--armed with swords. And he had currency. And the people seemed to have suspiciously modern attitudes. And almost no mention of religion; evidently religion wasn't important back then.

I can tell Barone wanted to write a sword and sandal romance novel (which is pretty much what this is), but I have no idea why he bothered setting it in the early bronze age. I mean, if he's not going to do the research, why bother? Just have it set in a fantasy world. Or bump up the date a bit, so say 700 BC or so.

[Dark Knight]

if my FIND works correctly, nobody mantioned the books of Robert Harris - "Imperium" and "Conspirata"(also known as "Lustrum"). Maybe they were so great for me because of my obsession with the Roman Republic, but they were a much better read than, for example, Colleen Mcculough's "The First Man of Rome".

anyway, the books focus on the great roman politician Cicero. these two are part of a trilogy, the 3rd book is upcoming.

[wolverine]

I have been reading The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (first book in her Lymond Chronicles) and it is a great read. It was a bit slow going at first, but I am nearing the end and it has been quite awhile since I have read historical fiction that felt so real. The characterization is great, the plotting is interesting and unpredictable, and the sense of place is tremendous. The protagonist, Lymond, is a bit of a super genius and some of his dialogue is confusing for me (lots of literary and classic references), but I am really enjoying the book at this point.

The book takes place on the border of 16th century Scotland during a volatile time with England. Some descriptions I read called it a historical romance, which put me off from reading it, but it is not IMO at all a romance.

[Liadin]

I have been reading The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (first book in her Lymond Chronicles) and it is a great read. It was a bit slow going at first, but I am nearing the end and it has been quite awhile since I have read historical fiction that felt so real. The characterization is great, the plotting is interesting and unpredictable, and the sense of place is tremendous. The protagonist, Lymond, is a bit of a super genius and some of his dialogue is confusing for me (lots of literary and classic references), but I am really enjoying the book at this point.

The book takes place on the border of 16th century Scotland during a volatile time with England. Some descriptions I read called it a historical romance, which put me off from reading it, but it is not IMO at all a romance.

Perhaps they mean "romance" in the older sense? A sort of romanticized adventure, lovers optional?

Everybody recommends this, I'll probably pick it up when I feel like reading more about Scotland.

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

I have a feeling they may be referring to the series as a whole. Still not a bodice ripper by any stretch, but romantic (and sexual) relationships between characters become far more important later on, both for characterisation and for plot purposes. It's not what most people think of when they hear "historical romance", that's for sure.

Also, you probably know this, but just in case, the first book is set in Scotland, yes, but the whole series covers a lot more than that. I'm trying to think through in order, and will probably miss some, but: Scotland, France, Malta, the Ottoman Empire (including North Africa and then-Constantinople), and Russia, with a few places used as a setting more than once.

[Whitestripe]

Have you read Love in the Time of Cholera?

I thought one hundred years of solitude was excellent. Very weird, but excellent.

I've read both... or tried to read both. They just don't do it for me. I have no idea why because I generally love books of that ilk. Personal flaw I guess.

[Borque]

if my FIND works correctly, nobody mantioned the books of Robert Harris - "Imperium" and "Conspirata"(also known as "Lustrum"). Maybe they were so great for me because of my obsession with the Roman Republic, but they were a much better read than, for example, Colleen Mcculough's "The First Man of Rome".

anyway, the books focus on the great roman politician Cicero. these two are part of a trilogy, the 3rd book is upcoming.

Seconded. Enjoyed them tremendously.

But why on Earth did the US publisher think Conspirata was a better title than Lustrum?

[wolverine]

Perhaps they mean "romance" in the older sense? A sort of romanticized adventure, lovers optional?

Everybody recommends this, I'll probably pick it up when I feel like reading more about Scotland.

I thought about that, but when I first read the description it was a misleading label for me.