I began this course with a dislike of historical fiction. I considered it to be dry and boring for the most part. When I read Across Five Aprils I was smug and said to myself, "see you were right". When I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham I thought it must be a fluke, one good book in a genre filled with awful ones. I was wrong. I loved this book as well and have since read several other historical fiction books that I thoroughly enjoy. Here is what I have learned. It isn't the genre it is the style. I prefer authors who do not try to delve to deeply into every detail of the period they are writing about. I do not wish to know many details of every battle of the Civil War. I like to read about the peoples lives that were living in that period. I want to feel as if I am there with them somehow. I want to be in that time machine with the author. As Dr. Johnson read from the acceptance speech in class on Monday I thought, Exactly! My husband claims that I never admit when I am wrong. So, here it is, in writing, I WAS WRONG.
As I read I Had Seen Castles I kept having to remind myself that this was a work of fiction. A work of fiction written by a woman noless. The main character is so well developed and his voice so authentic that if I didn't know better I would have sworn this was a memoir written by a veteran of WWII. Rylant's ability to portray the life of this man who goes from being an innocent youth to an emotionally scarred veteran is simply amazing. The details of the life lived within this novel are heart wrenching. I believe that all young men with grandiose ideas of war should read this book and think again.
I began this course with a dislike of historical fiction. I considered it to be dry and boring for the most part. When I read Across Five Aprils I was smug and said to myself, "see you were right". When I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham I thought it must be a fluke, one good book in a genre filled with awful ones. I was wrong. I loved this book as well and have since read several other historical fiction books that I thoroughly enjoy. Here is what I have learned. It isn't the genre it is the style. I prefer authors who do not try to delve to deeply into every detail of the period they are writing about. I do not wish to know many details of every battle of the Civil War. I like to read about the peoples lives that were living in that period. I want to feel as if I am there with them somehow. I want to be in that time machine with the author. As Dr. Johnson read from the acceptance speech in class on Monday I thought, Exactly! My husband claims that I never admit when I am wrong. So, here it is, in writing, I WAS WRONG.
As I read I Had Seen Castles I kept having to remind myself that this was a work of fiction. A work of fiction written by a woman noless. The main character is so well developed and his voice so authentic that if I didn't know better I would have sworn this was a memoir written by a veteran of WWII. Rylant's ability to portray the life of this man who goes from being an innocent youth to an emotionally scarred veteran is simply amazing. The details of the life lived within this novel are heart wrenching. I believe that all young men with grandiose ideas of war should read this book and think again.
1 comment:
Thank you! I am also having to admit that historical fiction is much better than I had thought. You stated in your blog that, "It isn't the genre; it is the style."
I had been looking for the right words to explain my change in thinking, and you gave them to me.
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