Do you read historical novels? Which historical periods are your interested in?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
April 9, 2011 5:01pm CST
At the moment I am reading a Danish novel that takes place around 1870. It is a about a poor family and their everyday life and problems. In the book the author describes the society and the living conditions around that time, and I find it interesting to learn more about time. So many things that we take for granted today didn't exist at that time and the children often had a very hard life as they both had to work and go to school.
Today some children in my country get a job after school because they want to earn some pocket money, but at that time many children had to work in order to earn money for their families. It wasn't a choice it was simply neccesary, because many poor parents didn't earn enough for rent and food.
Do you read historical novels? Do you read different kinds of historical novels or is there a particular period that you prefer to read about? Do you prefer historical novels from your own country or from other countries? Why?
1 person likes this
13 responses
@shibham (16977)
• India
13 Apr 11
Yes, i read. Actually i am doing research on novel and thats why i have to read lots of novel. It does not matter historical, social or regional..... So, there is no certain period of time regarding historical novel and yes, i read novels from other countries too.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Apr 11
It sounds like you have read many different genres, and I think that is great. I have also read a lot of novels and I hope to write my own novel one day. When I was studying Danish I got to know many of Danish authors that I hadn't heard about before. I love to read novels from different countries, and I think that it is fascinating to learn more about other countries that way.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
14 Apr 11
I started reading "A suitable boy" by Vikram Seth, but I lost the book and I didn't get the chance to finish it. I would like to find another copy of that book and read the rest of it. Unfortuneately it isn't that easy to find Indian novels in Denmark, because Scandinavian books and American books are generally more popular. That is a pity because I would like to read novels fron Asia as well. What are your favourite Indian novels? 
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
8 May 11
Hi aisoice and Suzieqmom
I loved mystery novels when I was younger and I read many different ones, but I haven't read any mystery novels recently. A combination between historical novels and mystery sounds interesting to me.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
27 Apr 11
But there are so many mystery novels that would also fall into the category of historical novel--books that take place in another time period, or a different country, and weave the setting into the plot of the mystery. Have you tried any of those?
1 person likes this
@SusanLee (1920)
• United States
7 Jun 11
I like historical fiction. I like it have a little romance overtones but I don't want that to be the center of the story. I like the simplicity of historical fiction.
I like anything from the 1800s and back. I don't like it to be loaded down with political intrigue with spies and stuff. I have no interest in that stuff so it's hard for me to follow the story line.
I like a simple story with some mystery and facts thrown in. What they built their houses out of, how the forged for food, religious beliefs, and stuff like that. I'm a simple person.
My ex-husband use to eat that stuff up.
I don't care where the story is from, whether it be in England, Scotland, Canada, the old west or where ever. As long as the characters come across as real people and the background is detailed, I can get lost in it.
I feel for folks that can't read. They're missing a whole other world out there.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
9 Jun 11
I don't like complicated stories either, I tend to lose interest in them if there are too many details and if it is too hard to follow the story. I like to read about the everyday life in óther periods than I own. The book that recently read took place in Copenhagen around the year 1870 and the characters in the story were ordinary people from that time. I found it interesting to read about the schools, the work, the houses where people lived and some of the problems that they faced around that time.
I also think that the people who don't read miss out on a lot of things. My life would be very different today if I had never learned to read and write, because I read a lot and I think that it is a great way to spend the time.
@HansonFan (1653)
• United States
31 May 11
I do like to read them - but I prefer ancient rome. Its very hard to find books from that time period. I have always been fascinated by the Romans and took Latin all through high school and college, learning all I could about them and their language. I have been there and would give everything to go back and explore without being chaperoned by teachers and being in a group of 16 year olds.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
9 Jun 11
I have read non-fiction books about ancient Rome, but I don't think that I have read any historical novels from that time. When I was in high school we learned a lot about ancient Rome, our history teacher was very interested in that period and her enthusiam made the lessons interesting. At that time the Danish high schools were divided in two lines. I had chosen the language line and Latin was one of the languages that I had to learn. In the lessons we also learned many things about ancient Rome. I didn't study Latin in college, but the Latin lessons where useful for me when I became a nursing student.
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
10 Apr 11
I love historic fiction such as Jean Auel's Earth Children series of which the 6th and final book has just been published, Don Coldsmith's Saga of the Spanish Bit series, Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear's First North Americans series. My favorite book has got to be Aztec by Gary Jennings.
I am not particular about the period but it does seem I gravitate to earlier periods. I have read many books about the dawn of man and civilization -- prehistoric, Aztec, Incan, Roman Empire.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Apr 11
I know the books by Jean Auel, and I have read 4 of them. When the final book was publish I read an article about Jean Auel in the newspaper, and it was interesting to read about her thoughts about the books and the way it started. The other books that you mentioned I haven't read, but they sound interesting. I have read non-fiction books about those periods but not any novels. Most of the historical novels that I have read have been from my own country like the one I am reading at the moment.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
27 Apr 11
Aztec is a book I was going to mention, too, in response to your query. It is wonderfully written, vivid and dramatic. You should check it out. 
1 person likes this
@doidgesidhuonline (55)
• Canada
10 Apr 11
I love historical novels. I live in Canada, and I much prefer novels that are set in Europe.
I just read a book called "Gargoyle", which was kind of a historical novel combined with modern times and also with some interesting info about mental health.
Basically a brief "teaser" for you if you're interested is that a man is severely burned, and while recovering in the hospital, he meets a psychiatric patient who insists she knows him from the 1300's.
It was really interesting. Also, historical fiction by Sarah Dunant is pretty great - usually set in Italy.
@doidgesidhuonline (55)
• Canada
15 Apr 11
Hi Porcospino,
Yes, Andrew Davidson is the author of Gargoyle. It was really great.
Sarah Dunant's books are usually circled around a female lead character, and are set in the Renaissance in Italy. They're really beautifully written.
Good luck!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Apr 11
When I was younger I wasn't interested in history, but today I think that it is an interesting topic to read about. I read both fiction and non-fiction. I am reading a historical novel from around 1870 at the moment, but I also read a non-fiction book about the time around 1700. The book describes many different aspects about that time, and I have learned a lot of new things.
@dodo19 (47317)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
24 Jun 11
I certainly do enjoy reading historical novels. I've always been interested in history, and reading is always been one of my favorite pastimes, which is most likely why I enjoy reading historical novels. I do enjoy reading historical novels not just from my own country, but from other countries as well. I don't think that there is one particular kind of historical novel that I like to read more about. I just enjoy reading about various things, whether it involves historical novels or not.
1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
9 Apr 11
Hi, Porcospino....I am an avid reader of anything having to do with WWII. I have many books relating to this period and some of them are historical novels. The latest one that I read was The Book Thief and gives a perspective from the German citizenry during the bombings during the war. I also have several of Churchill's writings from that period.
I've also read and have Nicholas and Alexandria which is about Russia's last tsar written as history but reads as a novel. I've read several novels of the Russian histories and am currently re-reading Anna Karenia.
I love to read and usually have two to four books going at a time. I even read when I'm myLotting between responding to discussions, waiting for new topics to pop up, etc.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Apr 11
I also like to read while I am mylotting. I have some books on the table next to my laptop and sometimes I read between the discussions or if I need a short break. When I was younger I read books about the second worldwar. One of my favourite Danish authors has written a lot of historical novels and some of them take place during the second worldwar. The books about Russia sound interesting. I recently started learning the Russian language, and I think that is could be interesting to learn more about the history as well.
@Anitismo (229)
• Bahamas
10 Apr 11
Yes, but my favorite books are the ANN Rice Vampire chronicles, but I do love historical because of how the writers describe the eras and the type of clothing and mainly the whole experience of what going on during that time. It always a learning experience. I love the one basically about the European countries and while reading try to picture the accents during that time. If you interested in some of the books i read go to my site. http://anitismo.weebly.com you can download some of the books for free. and you can send me a comment.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Apr 11
I have heard about the vampire chronicles, but I haven't read any of the books. I also think that we can learn something when we read books about other periods. I am especially interested in the living conditions and the everyday life in other periods. Many things that we take for granted today didn't exist in other periods and there are many things that they had to do in a different way. The book that I am reading at the moment take place in the last part of the 1800's and I think it is fascinating to learn about the life that people had.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
10 Apr 11
Yes I do like to read historical novels. I like pretty much anything pre-1900's but prefer books involving the 1500's through 1800's. I just find these much more interesting then the others. I am not into more modern day events as I think they are all too familiar for me. I here tales of WWII from relatives and I know people ho where there. SO to me I either read them and get up set that some one I know went through that or get upset because I know something is just too far off base to be correct. I cannot stand when historical novels take too much leeway with what was going on at the time.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
10 Apr 11
For historical novels, i enjoy the historical romance novels. the time periods of the revolutionary War and the civil war in the U.S. are such romantic and challenging eras of history and they alway make remarkable reading.1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Apr 11
I don't think that I have read that many historical romance novels except "Gone with the wind" and "The blue bicycle" by Regine Deforges. "The blue bicycle" is from a different period than the books that you mentioned, because it takes place during the second world war.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
17 May 11
Yes. I have a regular habit of picking works that has history in its background. I am often collecting works regarding famous historical figures like kings, queens, war heroes and other influential people in history. Most of my books are historical novels - often set in Europe (England, to be precise) and its long course of history. I don't have a particular period but I often encounter a number of works in a specific period, for example - the Tudors, the Regency or the Victorian age. Aside from the historical novels, I also collect biographies and historical accounts.
Unfortunately, my country isn't in the production of historical novels. Most likely the books I encounter are in the contemporary age and historicals has a limited readership. The only historical novels I know are often used as resources, so majority of my peers don't appreciate the content.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 May 11
The books about England sound interesting. I live in Europe and I like to read about the history of my own country and the other European countries. My mother has always been very interested in history and when she sometimes talks about the books that she has read and recommends some of them. At the moment I am not reading any historical novels, but I am reading a non-fiction book about the history of Copenhagen. I find it interesting to read about other periods than my own and I learn many new things that way.
