I love a story that surprises you, a story that is not only well written but also written in an unconventional way. This was the case with Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character and we get to follow their thoughts and actions. It is such a melancholy story and I can’t help but think it must have been such a pain living during this time (the end of Victorian England) with all the restrictions society put on you.
Chevalier has found a nice balance between social commentary and pleasure reading in Falling Angels. It is one of the most well-written books I have read in a long time.
Josefine
My recommendations: The Pirate’s daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Showing posts with label Tracy Chevalier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tracy Chevalier. Show all posts
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The value of historical novels in teaching history
Using historical fiction novels when teaching history was an ongoing discussion in my classes at the university. In one class my professor used historical fiction in his teaching and encouraged us to read it. Another professor asked us to not pick one for our book report, since he was not going to approve it.
For me the topic is a double edge sword. I have a strong belief in people reading historical novels actually can learn something. Most important, it might spark an interest in the reader to actually study more about the period. In introduction classes a historical novel might just help more than it breaks. On the other hand I can also see the faults in historical novels, which like any other book can be badly written and researched, which then leads to blatantly wrong descriptions of the period. If then the reader doesn’t bother to look up the facts, this will create a problem.
When I was younger, I learned much about Swedish history through the novels by the Swedish author Olov Svedelid. This helped me in class because many of topics we learned about there, I was already somewhat familiar with. A situation like this can give a boost to any student in the 5th grade.
Nowadays, I like to read Philippa Gregory’s stories about Tudor England, different stories about World War II and the books by Marek Halter (whom I wrote about in my last post) purely for their entertainment. These are books of fiction and I now that there are some inaccuracies in their books. Mostly about personalities or when they include fictional characters as well as real people and events. That is why it is fiction.
I believe that as long as you have a clear understanding of the differences of fiction and non-fiction, go ahead enjoy some of the many great historical novels there is out there. Enjoy them for their writing and storytelling and then pickup a non-fiction book which is well researched and accurate to study the period.
Josefine
My recommendation: Girl with a pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier. The book NOT the movie.
For me the topic is a double edge sword. I have a strong belief in people reading historical novels actually can learn something. Most important, it might spark an interest in the reader to actually study more about the period. In introduction classes a historical novel might just help more than it breaks. On the other hand I can also see the faults in historical novels, which like any other book can be badly written and researched, which then leads to blatantly wrong descriptions of the period. If then the reader doesn’t bother to look up the facts, this will create a problem.
When I was younger, I learned much about Swedish history through the novels by the Swedish author Olov Svedelid. This helped me in class because many of topics we learned about there, I was already somewhat familiar with. A situation like this can give a boost to any student in the 5th grade.
Nowadays, I like to read Philippa Gregory’s stories about Tudor England, different stories about World War II and the books by Marek Halter (whom I wrote about in my last post) purely for their entertainment. These are books of fiction and I now that there are some inaccuracies in their books. Mostly about personalities or when they include fictional characters as well as real people and events. That is why it is fiction.
I believe that as long as you have a clear understanding of the differences of fiction and non-fiction, go ahead enjoy some of the many great historical novels there is out there. Enjoy them for their writing and storytelling and then pickup a non-fiction book which is well researched and accurate to study the period.
Josefine
My recommendation: Girl with a pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier. The book NOT the movie.
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