Historical fiction facts for kids
Historical fiction is a type of story where the plot happens in the past, but the characters and specific events are made up. It's like a mix of history and imagination!
This kind of storytelling isn't just in books. You can find historical fiction in plays, operas, movies, TV shows, video games, and even graphic novels.
A key part of historical fiction is that it's set in a real time period from the past. Authors pay close attention to how people lived, what society was like, and other details from that era. Sometimes, they even include famous historical figures. This helps readers understand what life might have been like for these people. Some types, like alternate history or historical fantasy, add made-up or fantasy elements to the past.
Sometimes, people criticize historical fiction if it doesn't seem totally accurate to the past. There's a balance between being historically correct and telling an exciting fictional story.
Historical fiction as we know it today really started in the early 1800s. Writers like Sir Walter Scott from Scotland, Honoré de Balzac from France, James Fenimore Cooper from America, and later Leo Tolstoy from Russia were very important. But mixing history and made-up stories has been around for a long time in many cultures. Think of ancient Greek and Latin stories, or even old myths and folk tales that told stories about the past.
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What is Historical Fiction?
People have different ideas about what counts as historical fiction. Some say a story needs to be set at least 50 years before it was written. Others say it should be set before the mid-1900s, and the author should have researched it, not lived it.
Historical fiction can also make people feel proud of their country's past. Sir Walter Scott's novels made people interested in Scottish history. In Poland, writers like Józef Ignacy Kraszewski and Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote popular books about Polish history, especially when Poland had lost its independence. Sienkiewicz even won the Nobel Prize in literature for his work, including Quo Vadis, which was about ancient Rome and early Christians. This book has been made into several movies! Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter did something similar for Norwegian history, and she also won a Nobel Prize.
Many early historical novels helped people become interested in the Middle Ages. Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame helped save Gothic architecture in France. Some authors use historical fiction to look at society or human life from a different angle, or to avoid censors in their own time.
In some historical novels, big historical events happen in the background. The made-up characters live their lives while these events are going on. For example, Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped is set during the Jacobite troubles in Scotland. Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities takes place during the French Revolution.
Sometimes, the historical details in these books are not perfectly accurate. Some modern writers even mix real history with made-up events and fantasy. But some authors, like Colleen McCullough in her Masters of Rome series, write historical fiction without any made-up characters at all.
A Look at History: From Ancient Times to Today
Early Historical Stories
Stories set in the past have been around for a very long time. In Chinese literature, three of the most famous classic novels are set in the distant past. Water Margin is about outlaws in the 1100s. Romance of the Three Kingdoms tells about wars in the 200s. Journey to the West follows a Buddhist pilgrim in the 600s.
Ancient Greek writers also loved stories about the past. The Iliad, an epic poem, is often seen as historical fiction because it talks about real events, even though it's a poem. Some even say Plato's stories about Atlantis helped start the idea of historical novels. In Japan, The Tale of Genji (written before 1021) was a made-up story about court life from a century earlier.
One of the first historical novels in Europe was La Princesse de Clèves, published in France in 1678. It's set in the French royal court in the late 1550s. Almost all the characters are real historical figures, and the events follow history very closely. In the United Kingdom, historical novels grew from this French style.
The 1800s: A New Era for Historical Fiction
Historical fiction became very popular in Europe in the early 1800s. This was largely thanks to the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. His books were loved all over Europe. His novels, like Waverley (1814) and Rob Roy (1817), explored how society changed through conflicts. Ivanhoe (1820) helped bring back interest in the Middle Ages.
Many famous British writers in the mid-1800s wrote historical novels. These include Thackeray's Vanity Fair, Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, and George Eliot's Romola.
In the United States, James Fenimore Cooper was a key historical novelist, inspired by Scott. His most famous book is The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 (1826). It's set in 1757 during the French and Indian War. Another important American historical novel is The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It's set in 1600s Puritan Boston.
In French literature, Honoré de Balzac and Victor Hugo were important. Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) is another famous example. It's set in 1482 and focuses on the Notre Dame Cathedral. Hugo wrote it to make people care about saving Gothic architecture. Alexandre Dumas also wrote popular historical novels like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. These books were incredibly popular and have been made into many movies and TV shows.
Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace is a huge 19th-century historical novel. It's set 60 years before he wrote it, during the Napoleonic Wars. Tolstoy used the novel to question how history was usually written. He talked to people who had lived through the war to make his story feel real.
The Betrothed (1827) by Alessandro Manzoni is the most famous Italian novel. It was inspired by Scott's Ivanhoe but was different because its main characters were from the lower class. It's set in northern Italy in 1628, during Spanish rule. Its success led to many other Italian historical novels.
In Arabic literature, Jurji Zaydan (1861–1914) wrote 23 historical novels. His books helped modern Arabs learn about their history.
The 1900s: Expanding Horizons
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A major German historical novel from the 1900s is Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks (1901). It tells the story of a rich merchant family's decline from 1835 to 1877. Mann used his own family history for the book. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature partly because of Buddenbrooks.
In Britain, Robert Graves wrote popular historical novels like I, Claudius and King Jesus. Mary Renault was known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece, featuring figures like Theseus and Alexander the Great. The Siege of Krishnapur (1973) by J. G. Farrell is a famous novel about the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Many Nobel Prize winners have written historical novels. William Golding wrote The Inheritors (1955), set in prehistoric times, and The Spire (1964), about building a medieval cathedral.
Historical novels are still very popular today. Best-selling authors include Patrick O'Brian with his Aubrey–Maturin series and Ken Follett with Pillars of the Earth. There's also been a lot of interest in novels about World War I, like Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong.
In the United States, William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! (1936) is set around the American Civil War. Other American authors like Gore Vidal and E. L. Doctorow have also written historical novels.
In Italy, historical fiction has continued to be popular. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard tells about the Italian Unification. Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (1980) was a huge international success. It's a mystery set in an Italian abbey in 1327.
In Bulgaria, Fani Popova–Mutafova was a best-selling historical fiction author in the 1930s and 40s. Vera Mutafchieva's historical novels have been translated into 11 languages.
In Scandinavia, Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter (1920–1922), set in medieval Norway, won her the Nobel Prize in Literature. Mika Waltari from Finland is known for The Egyptian (1945). Sweden has also produced many historical novels, including Vilhelm Moberg's The Emigrants, about Swedish people moving to the United States in the 1800s.
In Latin America, historical novels were very popular in the 1900s. Writers like Gabriel García Marquez with The Autumn of the Patriarch (1975) and Mario Vargas Llosa with The War of the End of the World (1981) wrote important works.
The 2000s: Modern Historical Fiction
In the 21st century, historical fiction is still very popular. Hilary Mantel is one of the most successful writers, known for her novels about the Tudor period. Other popular authors include Philippa Gregory and Bernard Cornwell. The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, a Nobel Prize winner, is a highly praised novel set in 18th-century Poland.
Different Kinds of Historical Fiction
Historical fiction has many different subgenres, each with its own special twist.
Fictional Biographies
These novels tell the life story of a real historical person, but with added fictional details to make it a compelling story. Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar is about the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Margaret George has written fictional biographies about Cleopatra and Mary Magdalene. Other examples include I, Claudius by Robert Graves and recent series about Julius Caesar by Conn Iggulden and Cicero by Robert Harris.
Gothic Fiction
Popular in the late 1700s, Gothic fiction is set in the past and often includes mysterious, terrifying, or haunting elements. The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole is a very early and important example.
Historical Mysteries
These stories are set in the past and involve solving a mystery or crime, usually a murder. Ellis Peters's The Cadfael Chronicles (1977–1994), set in the 1100s, helped make this subgenre popular.
Historical Romance and Family Sagas
These novels combine historical settings with romantic themes or follow a family through generations. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell are famous examples. Georgette Heyer created the Regency romance subgenre, which are love stories set during the English Regency period (1811–1820). She was very careful to include accurate historical details.
Nautical and Pirate Fiction
These historical novels take place mostly at sea. Examples include C. S. Forester's Hornblower series and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series, both set during the Napoleonic Wars. There are also adventure stories with pirates, like Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1883) and Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood (1922).
Alternate History and Historical Fantasy
Alternate history stories imagine what would happen if a major historical event had turned out differently. For example, The Plot Against America by Philip Roth imagines if Charles Lindbergh had become president instead of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.
Historical fantasy mixes historical settings with magic or mythical creatures. Poul Anderson has historical fantasy novels set in Viking times. Guy Gavriel Kay writes novels set in fantasy versions of historical periods, like a fantasy Renaissance Spain or Byzantine Empire.
Children's Historical Fiction
This is a very important type of historical fiction for young readers. These books often aim to teach kids about the past in an engaging way. Some include time travel or fantasy elements to help connect the modern world with history. Popular series include the American Girl novels and the Magic Tree House series.
Comics and Graphic Novels
Historical stories are also told in comics and graphic novels. 300 by Frank Miller is about the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece. Age of Bronze series by Eric Shanower retells the Trojan War. In Japan, there are many Samurai manga series like Vagabond. Many of these have been made into movies or anime shows.
Historical Stories in Performing Arts
Historical events and figures are often brought to life on stage and screen.
Period Drama Films and Television Series
These are movies and TV shows based on historical events or famous people. Some, called docudramas, try to be very accurate. Others, like Braveheart, are fictional stories inspired by real people, like William Wallace's fight for Scotland's independence.
In Asia, there are many historical drama films, known as Jidaigeki in Japan. Wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are also popular. These often feature martial arts and are set in historical China. Samurai films like Zatoichi are also historical dramas.
Many historical stories have become popular TV series. Rome and Spartacus are about ancient history. The Tudors and Elizabeth I focus on Tudor England. Shows like Sharpe are set during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Theatre: History Plays
History is one of the main types of plays, along with tragedy and comedy. The most famous are the history plays by William Shakespeare. These include Richard III and Henry V. Shakespeare also wrote tragedies like Macbeth, set in the 1000s, and Roman plays like Julius Caesar.
Other playwrights also wrote history plays. Christopher Marlowe wrote Edward the Second about a king's downfall. German writers Goethe and Schiller wrote historical plays like Mary Stuart, about Mary, Queen of Scots.
Later, George Bernard Shaw wrote Saint Joan, based on the life of Joan of Arc. The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht tells the story of Galileo Galilei, who was persecuted for his scientific discoveries.
Opera
Opera also tells historical stories. Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea (1643) is about the Roman emperor Nero and his mistress Poppaea. George Frederick Handel wrote operas about historical figures like Julius Caesar.
In the 1800s, grand operas became popular. These were large-scale productions with big casts and orchestras, often based on historical events. Important opera composers like Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner created many historical operas. Russian composers like Modest Mussorgsky (Boris Godunov) and Alexander Borodin (Prince Igor) also wrote operas about Russian history.
Historical Reenactment
Historical reenactment is when people dress up and act out parts of a historical event or period. This can be as small as recreating a moment from a battle or as big as showing what life was like during an entire historical era. It's a fun way to experience history firsthand!
Images for kids
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War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, published 1869 and set 60 years before
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Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Victor Hugo (1831)
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The Fifth Queen, 1906-1908 by Ford Madox Ford is written about the 16th century
