any suggestions are welcome
Yea Forums's thought on Historical Fiction
Kevin Walker
Henry Torres
Pic related is amazing. It will help you with your life. Do not be intimidated by the setting, you do not need to really know anything about Japanese history to read it, but you will learn a little in the process. It is set just after the battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and follows Musashi's quest to become the greatest swordsman ever. Truly an epic tale
I, Claudius and Claudius the God are both good books as well but the author takes many liberties with accurate depictions of the characters
Hunter Stewart
thanks man
Jonathan Nelson
Umberto Eco's books are pretty good.
Jacob Roberts
How does he take liberties? I thought basically the whole point of those books (which I liked a lot) was that he takes the skeletal account provided by the classical authors, mainly Suetonius and Tacitus, and then fills out the missing details in a plausible but obviously fictional and dramatic account. I don't recall that he dramatically subverts any of the characters' reputations, I guess maybe aside from Claudius, who he turns into a sympathetic flawed character easily recognizable to a modern audience, in juxtaposition to the (it generally seems to a modern reader) cruel and hateful accounts in the sources, on account of his deformity and stutter and so on. Aside from that, if anything, I thought the point was that Graves was taking the standard historical reading of various characters, like that Livia was a scheming jezebel, and dialing it up to dramatic proportions. Not subverting such readings.
Juan Allen
After a few books, you'll be growing mutton chops, what?
Michael Kelly
do you have the hardcover or paperback?
Daniel Hughes
You are correct but Livia was likely nothing like how she is depicted in the book, which made me wary of treating the books as anything more than fiction. The only historical source that suggests Livia was like this was Tacitus, which explains why Graves writes her like this, but other than that there is no evidence she was a scheming jezebel. He does the same with some of the other characters, but I cannot recall which since I read it a while ago, I just remember Livia being the most criminal example.
Samuel Martin
Get the hardcover as it is ~900 pages
Grayson Watson
Flashman is cleanest, best pleasure. Really top notch.
Cameron Moore
Bleeding Edge is a historical novel
Caleb Jenkins
How does it compare to Sharpe?
Nolan Nelson
sounded cool but haven't read it, its about to come in the mail
Kevin Evans
Shogun was fun.
Big dicked Englishman crushing Japanese puss.
Wyatt Butler
Looks like you're right, the image comes mostly from Tacitus. It's the one that becomes popular in literary culture etc., so I guess Graves is following the "standard" Livia that most educated Brits would know.
Still, Suetonius was working in Rome for the government while writing the first half of his history (or so?), so maybe he just couldn't report the really spicy stuff. dunno.
Leo James
I haven’t read Sharpe, but Flashman is definitely better.
Chase Robinson
It is my favorite fiction genre for modern books.
Brandon Sanchez
Count Belisarius and I, Claudius by Robert Graves are both excellent.
Isaiah Davis
I havent read Flashman, but its probably better than sharpe. Sharpe is a nice light hearted, and a little cheesy romp. Its junk food, but its nice enough. I prefer Horatio Hornblower.
Colton Reed
Sharpe is fun, but Flashman will teach you more about fascinating history you had never heard of. Then he'll seduce a woman and try to avoid all danger, and be damned charming the whole time.
My only regret is that my facial hair can't grow into his tart catchers.
Easton Reyes
Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Hunter Evans
Sharpe, Aubrey-Maturin and Hornblower are all great if you want some Napoleonic fiction.
Luis Phillips
My favorite is Ben Hur: a Tale of the Christ
Robert Morris
is there a Historical fiction chart?
Colton Baker
What about mythic historical fiction; stories based on historical places so old they are shrouded in legend and occult notions?
Or would that classify as fantasy?
Nathaniel Young
>no one's posted JG Farrell yet
Troubles>Singapore. Haven't read Siege but it's the shortest
Matthew Cook
If you like Graves read Memoirs of Hadrian by Yourcenar and Augustus by John Williams.
Oliver Sullivan
Taiko is also good.
Christian Walker
I've never read it but Wolf Hall gets mentioned a lot.
Daniel Lewis
Aztec by Gary Jennings
Jaxson Garcia
Burr and Lincoln by Gore Vidal both exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend them.
Michael Williams
Thoughts on these books
Hudson Edwards
No! Pharaoh by Bolesław Prus.
David Harris
The movie is fucking awesome as well
youtube.com
Bentley Price
It's pretty good series of small books about 14th century France.
Adrian Young
I want to loan Lincoln from my local library. Thing is, I’m ignorant about USA history (south american). Do i need some background? How about the language? Is it difficult or not so much?
Austin Myers
Not a big fan of Follett, the others are pretty good.
Ryder Campbell
>Do i need some background?
Yes, if you read both of their Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia pages you'll be more than ready for the books.
en.wikipedia.org
britannica.com
en.wikipedia.org
britannica.com
Kayden Gomez
How has no one posted this
Tyler Nelson
No
Austin Reed
Augustus