I just love historical fiction - it’s generally my favourite genre of books. I love the feeling of delving into the lives of those who lived in the past - their failures and triumphs, and their every day lives, which were so different that the way we all live today. Here are five of my favourite period novels.
1. Emma by Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s most popular novel is undoubtedly Pride and Prejudice - and it’s one of my most beloved novels - but my recommendation for you today is Emma! This is such a fun book to read. Emma’s innocent arrogance and the havoc it wreaks is so fun to follow! She's so involved in trying to manipulate and control the lives of others and, well, she's really just not paying enough attention to her own life! Austen's Emma is delightful and amusing.
All of Jane Austen's books have their screen adaptations, and Emma is no exception. The Gen-Xers out will certainly recognize Amy Heckerling’s 1995 cult-classic film Clueless - did you know that this film was based on Austen’s Emma? In my opinion, it's definitely the best and most creative adaptation there is!
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
It would be difficult for me to have any type of Top 5 list involving books without including Leo Tolstoy. In War and Peace, his epic novel, everyone is mixed up with princes and princesses, love and divorce, marriage and birth, duels and death. It takes place 70 years before Tolstoy's time during the French invasion of Russia.I love Tolstoy's writing because it's so relatable: all of their ridiculous decisions; they're all very human, and you can watch as they grow and change.
Pierre, a main protagonist in the novel, is really remarkable. It's easy to see oneself in many of Tolstoy's characters. While the original novel was written in Russian (as an aside, it's my dream to one day learn Russian and read all of Tolstoy's works in their original language), there is a fair amount of French in the book, which is a lot of fun for a Francophile like me.
3. Roots by Alex Haley
Roots by Alex Haley completely transformed the way I looked at American history. In this novel that spans several generations, Kunta Kinte is stolen from his native land in the Gambia and forcibly brought to the United States. But before this terrifying event, the reader gets a real sense of Kunta's life in his home town. Life is difficult, as he lives in a farming community and the climate is harsh - but his world is surrounded by love and affection from his family and community members.
Roots has, of course, also been made into a mini-series, and I've heard that it was great, but I have never seen it. I remain steadfast in my loyalty to the book! The last chapter of the book is Hayley's documented research into how he found all of the information for the book. Because, of course, the book starts with Kente's generation and end with Alex Hayley himself.
4. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells the story of two young men named Amir and Baba in Afghanistan during a rather tumultuous time in the country: the Afghan monarchy has fallen through the Soviet invasion and the Taliban has begun to rise. Major themes in this novel include relationships between children and their parents, friendship, betrayal, guilt and redemption. It's a really heavy book, and it's not suitable for all audiences with its graphic depictions of violence. But it's an eye-opening, award winning, best-selling book and very much worth the read.
5. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, a charming and enchanting novel set in Moscow in 1922, is about Count Rostov, who avoids a death sentence and is instead sentenced to house arrest in his place of residence: the luxurious Hotel Metropol Moscow, right across the street from the Kremlin. Following the Count's antics and adventures is very amusing, and it's difficult not to like him very much. As I was reading this book, I kept thinking that it would make a superb movie. Each scene is more grand, humorous, and beautiful than the preceding one.
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