Historical fiction offers that in a way that is different from your typical high fantasy or sci-fi novel - I think, personally, in a way that is almost more impressive and jaw-dropping. An aspect people love about reading is the “escape” it offers, the ability to travel to another world, or whatever. Similarly, it sheds new light on our world today, as that timeless quote goes.Īnother, more awe-inducing aspect of historical fiction is the realization that it’s real, or at least inspired by real events. While it is incredibly educational, it’s communicated through a medium that is entertaining and easy to understand.īy presenting readers with characters they can empathize with, relate to or even see themselves in makes learning not only more enjoyable, but intelligible too. But look at the musical “ Hamilton ,” for example. I think that’s what scares people off sometimes, the idea that historical fiction is essentially reading a textbook. One aspect of the genre that I appreciate is the didactic nature of it.
The variety of what we read is vast, ranging from contemporized retellings of ancient stories to speculative fiction. This semester I’m taking a historical fiction workshop (ENGL 413) and in it, we read all sorts of short stories and novels. There’s a lot to love about historical fiction, and it’s an incredibly underappreciated genre, in my opinion. That’s what historical fiction is like for me. It’s the equivalent of saying your hobby is listening to music or that you like to open windows when it’s raining outside. For me, it’s more like the bedrock of reading.
There’s one genre I find myself coming back to, but for some reason never deign to call my favorite. I like to dabble - try everything at least once give it a test drive and wiggle my toes to see if there’s room. Twelve-year-old Grace is rolling her eyes at the thought.īut I try not to limit myself to the same old, same old.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good adventure, but only if it’s accompanied by an in-depth analysis of human nature. Now, I’m more of a standalone lit fic kind of gal. Ten years ago, I wanted fantasy escapades, love triangles and devastating betrayal I wanted training montages, one bed tropes and seven-book series. The more I read, the more my preferences evolve.
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