Best Historical Fiction

lamotamant: This book made historical fiction multi-POVs a complete addiction for me.

elkiedee : I absolutely loved this when I read it but it was over 30 years ago now. I should reread, and would recommend to people who love historical fiction. I am thumbing it down because it's not a historical novel, it is a dual narrative story with a large part set in the past, but also a novel largely set in the author's present at the time of writing (late 1980s, published 1990).

elkiedee : I love this novel - but it's not historical fiction - it's a mostly contemporary novel with historical appeal. The main character is a 20th century police detective convalescing in bed and "investigating" the case of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, but it's set in the author's present day.

sturlington : DNF

sturlington : DNF

aulsmith : Doesn't meet my definition of historical fiction.

sturlington : Took place during the author's lifetime and based partly on his experiences.

elkiedee: Historical fiction is set in the past but it can be a period within the author's lifetime - the past can look very different from 25 or 40 years later. I hope no one who argues this isn't a historical novel believes that either Possession or The Daughter of Time, both above this in the list, are historical fiction. They are brilliant novels which I would recommend to fans of historical fiction but they are both contemporary novels with significant interest for historical fiction readers.

leslie.98 : Not historical fiction

aulsmith : Does not meet my definition of historical fiction. Author lived during the time period written about.

leslie.98 : Not historical fiction

: Libro facilón y no es novela histórica

aulsmith : A mix of historical and contemporary fiction. I didn't like the contemporary parts.

aulsmith : This is a mix of historical and contemporary fiction. I would have preferred it to be one or the other.

sturlington : I wouldn't consider this historical fiction.

RuMuse: Set in southern England from 1880 to post-WWI, it's a vivid account of 3 families and their friends, most of them liberal, artistic and unconventional, and how their world changed forever during the Great War.

hoddybook : This is fantasy not history

aulsmith : More legendary than historical

aulsmith : Not historical fiction by my definition.

elkiedee: It was written several decades after it was set, perhaps more than 50 years later, and while it was somewhat autobiographical it was also fictionalised and presented as a novel. Although it's loosely based on the author's life and that of her family, lots of details have been changed, added, left out and this is historical fiction.

aulsmith : More legendary than historical

leslie.98 : Not historical fiction; written at the time of events described

aulsmith : Takes place during the author's life time. Not historical fiction.

aulsmith : Not historical

RobPoulton : arthurian fantasy

aulsmith : Not historical fiction by my definition. Main characters are not from historical time period.

sturlington : Science fiction.

aulsmith : Not historical fiction by my definition.

aulsmith : Not historical by my definition.

aulsmith : Took place during the author's life time. Not historical fiction.

aulsmith : Not historical fiction. Takes place during the author's life time.

aulsmith : Not historical fiction by my definition. Main characters are not from the time period.

sturlington : Science fiction.

aulsmith : Not historical fiction. Vonnegut was actually in Dresden.

sturlington : Science fiction.

RobPoulton : Most definitely not historical fiction.

leslie.98 : Not historical fiction

sturlington : Not historical fiction.

aulsmith : Fantasy

RuMuse: Set in Maine, from pre-WWI into 1950's, a very well-written novel showing how the events and social mores of those times affected the characters.

aulsmith : Fantasy