Raye's List of the Best Historical Fiction

After reading ten works of historical fiction which I chose from "Best of..." lists on the internet, I am ready to provide my own top--ten list. Only one of those just read is included here. The rest come from my reading history.

What, in my judgment, qualifies as historical fiction? I would say that the term should be reserved for books written at least 75 years or so after the events depicted; otherwise participants and witnesses to the events would still be alive, and the work would qualify more as remembrance. I would also specify that the important events and culture of the time being portrayed should be prominent and not just serve as an atmospheric backdrop for another type of story altogether.

What makes a work of historical fiction outstanding? In my judgment, it must above all tell a good story. I want suspense; I want drama. If I wanted just to read a history lesson I would read a history book. The characters should come alive as real people, with problems and conflicts brought about by the events of their time. If the protagonists are historic personages, I want their reported actions and thoughts to reflect as much as is recorded of their known facts, even though the author's imagination necessarily enters in.

That brings me to another of my requirements: I want the history to be accurate, because I am a dilettante reader who frequently does not have much knowledge of the era being depicted. I don't want to be fooled, to have events twisted around or falsified to fit the author's plot requirements. I feel that a considerable number of historical fiction writers indulge in this practice, trusting that their readers have little knowledge of the history and won't know the difference.

Finally, I want to be immersed in a different time and place, with all the sights and sounds and smells and customs. Science fiction/fantasy writers are often very good at this sort of world building, but they have the advantage of being able to use only their imaginations and not having to do any research. How much more difficult it must be for a writer to interpret and convey real life as it once was.

Here, then, is a list of the works of historical fiction that best fit my requirements:

I, CLAUDIUS BY ROBERT GRAVES (1934)
The imagined "autobiography" of the lame, stuttering man who outwitted all his ambitious, bloodthirsty rivals to become Roman Emperor in 41 AD. Graves does such a good job of making the story convincing that one can readily believe it to be the emperor's actual writings.

THE KILLER ANGELS BY MICHAEL SHAARA (1974)
A character-driven account of the Battle of Gettysburg, told from the prospective of the officers of both the Union and Confederate armies. Shaara examines how men of good conscience who were often old friends could enter into deadly conflict with each other. I was surprised that this book affected me so deeply on an emotional level.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME BY VICTOR HUGO (1831)
The well-known Gothic Romance about a deformed bell ringer, a lust-filled priest, and a beautiful gypsy girl, set in the Middle Ages in Paris. In addition to bringing to life the most exciting of stories, Hugo creates a "thick" world, immersing the reader in the time and place in all its splendor and squalor.

ANDERSONVILLE BY MACKINLEY KANTOR (1955)
A grim look inside Andersonville Prison, the Confederate prisoner-of-war camp, with characters both historical and imagined. I read this book about 40 years ago, and I can still remember some of the details vividly. It's a very disturbing book to read, but then it should be.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES BY CHARLES DICKENS (1859)
A highly melodramatic story of love and sacrifice set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. Dickens is one of the greatest of storytellers, so this novel may be a bit long on plot and short on history, but it does provide an insight into why the common people were so revengeful against the aristocrats. As a plus, this novel has one of the best opening paragraphs ever and a last sentence that makes me cry, every time.

A LONG, LONG WAY BY SEBASTIAN BARRY (2005)
A look at World War I through the eyes of an Irish soldier fighting with the British army in Flanders and then, tragically, back in Ireland against his own countrymen during the Easter Uprising. An unflinching look at the horrors of war, and also one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read.

THE CRUCIBLE BY ARTHUR MILLER (1953)
In this play about the Salem Witch Trials, the characters and events are historically accurate, but the motivations for the actions come from the author's imagination. Miller wrote it as an allegory for McCarthyism, when the government went on a hunt for Communists. History often repeats itself this way, because scapegoats come in handy when things aren't perfect.

THE EGYPTIAN BY MIKA WALTARI (1949)
A full-bodied account of Egypt in the 14th century B.C. through the eyes of a physician to the Pharaoh. This is the most immersive piece of historical fiction I have ever read, plus it raises philosophical questions that are pertinent today.

AZTEC BY GARY JENNINGS (1980)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Aztec civilization, including graphic descriptions of human sacrifice and of a large variety of sexual practices. The fictional protagonist gives a tongue-in-cheek account, which is considered to be historically accurate as to events. This novel is great fun to read.

SHOGUN BY JAMES CLAVELL (1975)
Everything you ever wanted to know about feudal Japan, through the fact-based story of an Englishman who witnessed and participated in the rise to power of a warlord (shogun), culminating in a famous battle. Fun story: When my daughter was a baby (in 1976) she had a months-long case of colic. The sound of my voice sometimes had a calming effect, so I read large chunks of this book aloud to her. It helped me stay sane during those middle-of-the-night crying spells.