6/30/2023 0 Comments Fierce Dreamer by Linda Lafferty![]() They can fill gaps in the historical record (and there are chasms at times) in imaginative ways. Too frequently, those style of books have language generally based on a theatrical portrayal-like Shakespeare-that wouldn’t have necessarily been the common vernacular of the day, so it just doesn’t resonate with me.Īuthors of fiction are not held to the same professional scrutiny as academic historians. I prefer writers who don’t have their characters talking in some stilted prose they think indicative of the time. They may make small errors-Italians eating tomato sauce before the Columbian Exchange, but they avoid blaring mistakes. They dress their characters appropriately, set the scene realistically, recount history accurately, and make their book as authentic as possible. They allow us to time travel through their stories. Those that are good have authors who did copious research on the era. Historical fiction can be very good-or very bad. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good book on the ancient Romans (Mary Beard you’re my queen) or the Medici, but when I want to escape it’s historical fiction I reach for. As you can guess, my biblio tastes are more prone to flights of fancy than academic history. ![]() ![]() Most of my readers know that I’m a professional historian…by day by night (when reading) I fancy myself a roaming travel blogging historian who unravels ancient riddles, solves mysteries, and uncovers the past all while narrowly escaping danger at every turn. ![]()
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