Books shelved under “Historical Fiction”

The intriguingly titled Water for Elephants is everything a good book can be: an absolute page-turner; wonderful characters; and a well-researched, well-written plot.

The narrator Jacob Jankowski tells us the story of his time with a circus travelling the States during the Great Depression. Meanwhile, we also see him as a ninety- (or ninety-three-) year-old man in an "assisted living" home, mulling over his mortality. In both cases, I instantly felt sympathy for these Jacobs,…

In The Tristan Chord, Bettina von Kampen explores a very profound question: should one forget the great acts of a man because he has committed terrible ones?

The title may be misleading, because this book is not about music. It has a musical element and bandies about musical terms, sure, but music acts only as a plot device for telling this story. So if you aren't a musician, don't immediately shy away from this…

I greatly enjoy Anne Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries. Historical mysteries are tricky, requiring one to not only be well versed in the period in which the story is set, but the judicial system and detection methods available at the time. While I can't attest to how accurate Perry is in her facts, she maintains a willing suspense of disbelief.

In Buckingham Palace Gardens, someone commits a murder at the eponymous royal palace.…

This is not a book for everyone, in the sense that you must be receptive in order to read it, or else you'll want to put it down after the first 100 pages (if that). It's a slow story, rich in details and dwelling on significant moments in the lives of its many characters. There's very little action and a lot of deliberation. It takes dedication and patience to see it through until the end.…

This is my first encounter with the work of Josef Skvorecky. As his Author's Note explains, this book ties together many of the characters and themes from his previous novels. If I had been more familiar with his work, I would have enjoyed this book more.

That being said, I still enjoyed it. Paul Wilson has done a fantastic job translating Ordinary Lives into English--if I didn't know it had been translated, I would have…

I just couldn't get into this, unfortunately. Aside from the plight of Caroline Berring, who desperately wants to marry into an acceptable station in English society, there's very little in ways of a compelling plot, and that just doesn't do it for me. If you're more interested in the intricacies of Victorian English society, you may have a better time with this.

Heavy on the suspense and light on the car chases, The Betrayal Game delivers on exactly what it promises, nothing more, nothing less.

Essentially what that means is if you're predisposed to liking David l. Robbins' books or thrillers about assassination plots, you're going to like this book. It fits the formula. The main character (who appears in another book by Robbins, apparently--this is my first Robbins book) is an intellectual, but instead of being…

First I read this book with curiosity and, I confess, not a little scepticism. Then I read this book with pleasure and even, perhaps, morbid anticipation. Finally, as I turned the last few pages and the book spoke to me of endings and new beginnings, I read this book with appreciation and wonder.

The Monsters of Templeton begins in a distracted, almost haphazard fashion, introducing the tangential plot of the lake monster's death even as…

What originally began as a three-star book quickly became a four-star book as Fiona Buckley plunged me into a wonderful, immersive mystery set in Elizabethan England. This is my first Ursula Blanchard mystery, but I definitely want to read more. It has everything one could demand from a mystery: high stakes, complex antagonists, potential for tragedy, and a daring last-minute attempt to set things aright. Likewise, it satisfies my desire for a good piece of…

Second review: April 2020

Honestly, I don't have much to add to my review from 12 years ago (!). This remains an excellent mystery wrapped in deep medievalist philosophy and thought. It once again took me a long time to read, but it was a nice distraction from what's going on right now.

First review: December 2008

It took me a long time to finish this book (perhaps the longest time it's ever taken me…

I like historical fiction, and I like mysteries, but above all I like historical mysteries. While more familiar with Paul Doherty's work set in ancient Egypt, I still enjoyed this mystery set in early 14th century England. Thanks to Doherty's enchanting descriptions and vivid characterization, Nightshade drew me into the year 1304.

I probably have read other Hugh Corbett novels, but I can't remember them. Going off this novel alone, it's hard to get a…

I couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I had a hard time empathizing with the characters that Bennett sets in 15th century England. The protagonist, Isabel, never really seems to seize the day and attempt to carve out her own destiny.

Often I say, "Not my favourite book, but if you have the time, give it a read." There's nothing about Figures in Silk to recommend itself as one of those books, however. Its historical…

The first half of the book was a little erotic for my tastes, but it's fine if you like that sort of thing. It just seemed like a page didn't go by without mentioning sex or arousal or issuing some sort of innuendo. This calmed down toward the end of the book, by which time I actually found myself empathizing with Mary quite a bit

The book appealed to my dormant desire to learn more…

The subtitle says it all: "The Novel of Ancient Rome". Not "A novel", THE novel! The boast is not unfounded.

Stephen Saylor steps through almost a thousand years of Roman history in a series of vignettes. In each one, we experience a pivotal moment in the life of Rome through the perspective of a different person. Sometimes I empathized with the character; at other times, I felt he or she was in the wrong.

I'm…

I quickly fell in love with Gulland's lively depiction of seventeenth century France and Louise "Petite" de la Vallière. For the first half of the novel, I received a brilliant glimpse into the life of the daughter of an impoverished nobleman and her ascension in the court of Louis XIV. Aspects I enjoyed: Petite's love of reading, her struggles with her mother and manoeuvring through the intrigue of court, and her time spent in the…

The Pillars of the Earth is packed with dynamic characters who evolve over the course of fifty years during the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda (Maud). Follett expertly weaves the historical facts into the narrative of the story, often including his characters in pivotal moments--such as Philip's role in the aftermath of the assassination of Thomas Becket.

This story is one of raw determination. All of the characters' motivations become apparent as…

As a neophyte of Salman Rushdie's work, I was not fully prepared for The Enchantress of Florence, although I should have been. Rushdie possesses an uncanny ability to manipulate perspective. In his stories, the flow of time is always questionable, and subject to change--if it flows at all. And his characters are larger-than-life, capricious archetypes that embody the virtues and flaws of humanity.

In this novel, Rushdie runs two stories parallel to each other:…

I respect Ursula K. Le Guin greatly, for although she tackles many difficult and controversial topics, she never beats you over the head with her opinions. Works like her The Left Hand of Darkness allow you to read an intriguing story while at the same time, if you want, open yourself to new ideas.

Le Guin brings a feminist voice to the eponymous Lavinia, a character from Vergil's Aeneid. She tells Lavinia's story from…

Some books are written purely to entertain. Some books are written with a purpose in mind, to explore a theme and somehow communicate an essential aspect of humanity from one person to another. This is art through language. The Cellist of Sarajevo exemplifies this.

Steven Galloway very clearly states in his afterword that this is not a historical novel; it is not meant to accurately convey the details of the siege of Sarajevo. What it…

This is an intriguing piece of historical fiction. The two main characters are both strong women, although in different ways. Christi Phillips switches between seventeenth century Venice and present day with ease, and her writing style makes everything very easy to read. If you have an interest in Venetian history, or just like historical fiction or heroines in general, this book may suit you.

I would have liked a little more suspense. Parts were supposed…