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3:26 pm
March 21, 2011
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Dear members of this forum,
I would be ever so grateful if you could help me. I’m doing some research on the reasons why people write and read historical fiction set in the Tudor period, in particular on why they like to write and/or read a novel about the same events or the same historical figure again and again. Is it not just always the same story?
I’m one of those who like to read about the same events/people again and again, but I can only answer for myself as to reasons; I need more information from a wide variety of people.
I’m preparing a talk on this issue and would appreciate your comments very much; I may quote you in my paper and so would advice only those who do not mind this to reply to this post.
With my best wishes,
Ingibjörg, or Inga for short
Ingibjörg Ágústsdóttir
12:05 am
August 27, 2012
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Hi Ingibjörg. I would be more then happy to help if i can, just out of interest though- can this be included for non-fiction? I don’t really tend to read fiction anymore, as the inaccuracies would just irritate me ( a bit silly i know ). But i can definitely say that i really enjoy reading about certain periods/people over and over depending on the work of the text- for example: i have read many bios on Elizabeth 1 by different historians such as: Alison Weir, David Starkey etc, and now i am reading one by Tracy Borman called ‘Elizabeth’s Women’ and it focuses on the women in Elizabeth’s life like her mother, stepmother’s, governesses, sister, cousins, ladies-in-waiting etc: and examines the impact they had on her and their relationships with her. Another for example is Anne Boleyn, i have read a full scale biography on her ‘The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn’ by Eric Ives, and recently read ‘The Lady in the Tower’ by Alison Weir- as this focused entirely on Anne’s downfall/trial and execution and examined all the different aspects of her charges against her. I have done this with many other subjects as well- mainly as sometimes they can look at things from a different angle and mabe some new evidence has been uncovered, that may have been accidentally overlooked before. Hope that helps 
11:00 pm
March 21, 2011
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Thank you very much James33, although it’s not fiction it’s still helpful to hear perspectives on the actual biographical works.
Ingibjörg Ágústsdóttir
11:32 pm
August 27, 2012
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You are welcome Ingiborg , i would recommend posting this question to a few pages on Facebook, other blogs ( if you haven’t already of course). I think you would get more feedback that way .
7:13 pm
January 18, 2013
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I suppose its the same answer as with non-fiction. You read many different historians viewpoints on the same people and events because they all take a different perspective and so the same story is never quite told the same way twice. This goes also for fiction, each author has a slightly different twist. Therefore is you have a big interest in a particular person or era you want to completely immerse yourself in that world and experience every possible example of who that person could be whether you agree with it or not. Historical fiction can sometimes be more appealling to read than non-fiction if you don’t fancy doing much of your own thinking. With a history book you are given the facts and points of view but you have to come ot your own conclusions of what happened and a persons motives, thoughts and feelings are in a given moment. Historical fiction however gives you the answers according that that authors perspective.
Sorry am I babbling?
Woohoo I'm normal...gotta go tell the cat!
12:07 pm
March 21, 2011
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Yes James33, I did indeed post on facebook (in several groups there) and also on goodreads, I’ve got quite a lot of feedback. thank you so much for yours!
And KellyMarie, you are not babbling, your answer makes perfect sense thanks so much.
Ingibjörg Ágústsdóttir
