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According to the Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, Historical Novel “is a form of fictional narrative which reconstructs history and re-creates it imaginatively. Both historical and fictional characters may appear.” (“Historical Novel”).
As mentioned in Encyclopaedia Britannica - a Historical Novel “more often attempts to portray a broader view of a past society in which great events are reflected by their impact on the private lives of fictional individuals” (“Historical Novel”).
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, 1870.
The best example of a historical novelist in English literature is Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832). Waverly, published in 1814, was the first of his many historical novels. As reported by Encyclopaedia Britannica, it is a story of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 in which he presented "the manners and loyalties of a vanished Scottish Highland society. The book was published anonymously, as were all of the many novels he wrote down to 1827" ("Sir Walter Scott").
Many other writers of the 19th century followed him, such as W. M. Thackeray with Vanity Fair (1847-8) or Arthur Conan Doyle. Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Thomas Hardy also wrote historical novels.
A few examples of historical novels written in the 20th century are Robert Graves' I., Claudius (1934) or Georgette Heyer's Devil's Cub (1934).
Sources:
Cuddon, J. A.. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Fourth Edition, “Historical Novel”. Penguin Books, 1999.
“Historical Novel”. Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,15Sep.2023, https://www.britannica.com/art/historical-novel.
"Sir Walter Scott". Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,22Sep.2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-Scott#ref290314.
Entry created by Sabina Sliwinska
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