tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post7395391186211043451..comments2023-04-15T08:36:37.197-04:00Comments on Sappho Sings: Thoughts on Accuracy in Historical Fiction from Guest Author Lynne ConnollyNovelEaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15759107566201817217noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post-41590891757846795182016-02-01T00:58:16.217-05:002016-02-01T00:58:16.217-05:00I say " agree", not " angry". ...I say " agree", not " angry". Sorry about my terrible English grammar.daiyevonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09449344133129513145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post-28828381030588301362016-02-01T00:56:27.668-05:002016-02-01T00:56:27.668-05:00I'm sorry, but I don't angry with you. No ...I'm sorry, but I don't angry with you. No one study the history from the novels. Even when the author tried, he will never can write a novel have great historical accuracy. The history usually will be explained by the author's view. And finally, we reader will never know what information in these novel is the reality, what is the fiction if the author don't made a list of notes about it.<br /><br />Ex: " King X go to the palace at the morning, to have his breakfast. He eat a potato with a glass of apple wine."<br /><br />= > the list have to note to help the readers realize that:<br />- Are King X is the historical character?<br />- In that period, the King really have breakfast?<br />- In that period, they really eat potato???<br />- In that period, they really drink apple wine???<br /><br />follow that. It a 500 pages of that novel, may be we have to write 600-700 pages of notes, just to help the readers know what is the reality, what is the fiction.<br /><br /><br />Beside, can you really tell me any name of the novel which really good in historical accurancy??? I don't think so. <br /><br />------------------------------------<br /><br />I am from Vietnam, and my experience about Vietnam's historical fiction is really terrible:<br /><br />We Vietnam really think " we can use historical novel as a historical source, to teach/ research about the history.". Yeah, they think as same as you. But that trouble is, almost of them never can realize the historical elements and fiction elements in the novel. They really think " historical fiction = history book".<br /><br />On the other hand, Vietnamese usually have the great hatred against historical novels. That is why we have very few famous historical novels. When a historical novel be released, a huge group of Vietnamese will read that novel, note all of the mistakes, fictions in every sentence ( As same as the example which I have just mentioned above) . And they will show to everyone a very loooooong of notes, to claim that " that novel this the terrible of writing. It historical accurancy is terrible. It shamed our native heroes in the past. We have to burn/ ban all of this novel.". Not only that, sometime, because the nationalism, even the reality usually be claim as the mistake, too. Exp: when you discrible a historical character who actually is the bad guy ( follow the history book) while everyone usually think they a the good guy. <br /><br /><br />Really, you can write a historical novel have high historical accuracy as they Vietnamese want? So, you are the genius.<br /><br />Thank is my idea about this problem. We never should think historical novel is the history book. <br /><br /><br />daiyevonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09449344133129513145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post-30897138776513291862010-03-22T20:45:56.925-04:002010-03-22T20:45:56.925-04:00Yay, Yay, Yay, Lynne. You know I agree with you a...Yay, Yay, Yay, Lynne. You know I agree with you all the way. If I hear one more person say 'If I want history I will read I text book' I will explode. It so misses the point.Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post-17738041708706416892010-03-22T14:15:03.037-04:002010-03-22T14:15:03.037-04:00I couldn't agree more, even with historical ro...I couldn't agree more, even with historical romances. So many of these newer ones are such ridiculous nonsense. Romance or not the story, plot and setting needs to make sense. Let's say someone decided to write a novel set in the 70's and the author had their heroine texting on a cell phone. No one would buy into that would they?<br /><br />As for historical novels, the actual history is fascinating enough - why embellish it?Misfithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05791628901417307647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34339229.post-24829989879980331502009-03-25T10:29:00.000-04:002009-03-25T10:29:00.000-04:00Well written article. I agree with your points. Es...Well written article. I agree with your points. Especially the no need to inundate the reader with more historical facts than is necessary to validate the story, the fiction taking place as being realistic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com