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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales By: Jonathan Nield (1863-) |
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"These historical novels have taught all men this truth, which
looks like a truism, and yet was as good as unknown to writers
of history and others, till so taught: that the bygone ages of
the world were actually filled by living men, not by protocols,
state papers, controversies, and abstractions of men." Carlyle on the Waverley novels. Contents
Introduction Pre Christian Era First Century Second Century Third Century Fourth Century Fifth Century Sixth Century Seventh Century Eighth Century Ninth Century Tenth Century Eleventh Century Twelfth Century Thirteenth Century Fourteenth Century Fifteenth Century Sixteenth Century Seventeenth Century Eighteenth Century Nineteenth Century Supplementary List (Semi Historical) Suggested Courses of Reading (Juvenile) Bibliography INTRODUCTION.
It is not proposed, in these preliminary remarks, to sketch in
detail the origin and growth of the Historical Novel; this has
already been amply done by Professor Saintsbury and others. I
shall be content to approach the subject on its general side,
offering, at the same time, some critical suggestions which will, I
hope, not be without value to readers of Romance. But, first of all, I must explain how the List which follows came
to be compiled, and the object I have in offering it. For many
years I have been an assiduous reader of novels and tales in which
the historical element appeared, supplementing my own reading in
this direction by a careful study of all that I could find in the
way of Criticism on such works and their writers. Only in this way
could I venture on a selection involving a survey of several
thousand volumes! With the above understanding, I can say that no
book has been inserted without some reason, while I have made all
possible effort to obtain accuracy of description. And this leads
me to remark, that just in this process of selection do I claim
originality for my List. Nearly twenty years ago an excellent
"Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales" was
published; Mr. H. Courthope Bowen was the compiler, and I would
here mention my indebtedness to him. In Mr. Bowen's list, however,
one finds good and bad alike all the works of even such moderately
endowed writers as G. P. R. James, Ainsworth, Grant, etc., are
there set down. It seemed to me that, not only was there room for
a new list of Historical Novels (Stevenson, Marion Crawford, Conan
Doyle, Weyman, Mason, and a number of more or less capable
romancists having come forward in the last twenty years), but,
also, that more than ever was there a need for some sort of clue in
the search for such books. In the last year or two there has been
an almost alarming influx in this department of Fiction, and
teachers in schools, besides readers in general, may be glad to be
saved a somewhat tedious investigation.
"A Descriptive Catalogue of Historical Novels and Tales, for the
use of School Libraries and Teachers of History," compiled and
described by H. Courthope Bowen, M. A. (Edward Stanford, 1882.)
Having thus attempted to justify the existence of my little
"Guide," I pass on to deal with the subject of Historical Fiction
itself. Most of us, I suppose, at one time or another have
experienced a thrill of interest when some prominent personage,
whom we knew well by repute, came before us in the flesh. We
watched his manner, and noted all those shades of expression which
in another's countenance we should have passed by unheeded. Well,
it seems to me that, parallel with this experience, is that which
we gain, when, reading some first rank romance, we encounter in its
pages a figure with which History has made us more or less
familiar. And I would remark that the great masters do not, as a
rule, make that mistake which less skilful writers fall into the
mistake of introducing well known historical figures too
frequently. The Cromwell of "Woodstock" has an element of mystery
about him, even while he stands out before our mental vision in
bold relief... Continue reading book >>
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Historical Fiction |
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