Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Guest Post by Karen Odden: The “Mysnomer” in the Label “Historical Mystery”

I asked Karen Odden, author of the Victorian mysteries A DANGEROUS DUET (2018) and A TRACE OF DECEIT (2019) about the differences between historical mystery and straight historical fiction. Here's what she had to say!


The “Mysnomer” in the Label “Historical Mystery”
by Karen Odden

Years ago, one of the earliest readers of my first book, A Lady in the Smoke, wrote me this email: “I loved your book! My only issue was the cover. It says A Victorian Mystery, and it wasn’t really a mystery. It was all about characters and railway history—and I loved the romance!”


I stared at that message for a long time, truly perplexed. Yes, the book shows Lady Elizabeth Fraser’s difficult relationship with her mother, her dead father’s adultery, her budding relationship with the railway surgeon Paul Wilcox … but the railway crash happened because of flagrant corruption committed years before, and there’s another crime of enormous fraud about to be committed! Elizabeth and Paul must work together to uncover it before it happens. How is this not a mystery?

This question has nagged at me ever since, even as I wrote my next two books, giving rise to other questions: Where is the crossover between historical fiction and historical mysteries? And why do people who love historical fiction shy away from books labelled historical mysteries?

One clue came to me last year when I was at a mystery-writers’ conference, where two famous thriller writers agreed that they didn’t spend much time developing their secondary characters. One said, “There’s really only five types, right? A friend/ally, the villain, a thorn (bothersome but not the villain), the expert (who tells the detective something important), and the red shirt (the dead person).” Another explained that he jots down a secondary character’s age, hair color, eye color, maybe whether he smokes or drinks, a few habits—and that’s enough to start with. 

I found myself staring, disconcerted. This wasn’t how I worked. At all. I have stacks of backstory written for characters. I have a list, with every character, of physical traits, psychological aspects, bad habits, worst memories, who they love, what they want, and their deepest fears, along with pictures of objects in their homes and buildings they see on their daily walks.


Of course, thrillers are a particular sub-genre of mystery. They rely more heavily on plot than historicals or cozies tend to. And these writers are enormously successful, New York Times bestselling authors who have sold millions of books to avid fans. They’re crafting suspenseful, heart-pounding, fast-paced thriller mysteries.

But when it comes to historical mysteries, I’ve found readers have a different set of expectations.

Most readers of historicals (whether fiction or mysteries) frown when a book is poorly researched or contains anachronisms (like a Starbucks in 1970s New York). They roll their eyes at villains who have absolutely no redeeming traits and at overused tropes and conventional stereotypes, as in, “All Victorian women were prudes.” In general, readers are smart and savvy; they discuss works in book clubs; they read blogs and reviews; they want a book that entertains, provides an emotional journey, and even educates (without being a lecture). I know these readers—because I’m one of them! 

So when Julianne asked me to write about where historical novels and historical mysteries intersect, I did what I often do: I started researching by combing through my bookshelves. Like most avid readers, I own a mishmash of fiction, mystery, memoir, classics, how-to, some poetry, books from grad school and college, and some old childhood favorites I can’t part with. (Anne of Green Gables is up there, as are A Wrinkle in Time and The Witch of Blackbird Pond.) I also have (on low shelves, easily reachable) my non-fiction reference books on Victorian England railway systems, clothing, crime, country house architecture, and so on. 


I pulled down forty historical works to review, and this is what I found: the historical novels I truly love have some element of mystery, some dark secret from the past that must be discovered and resolved. And the historical mysteries that I love—many of which have received literary awards, including Canada’s coveted Costa Book of the Year and the Hammett prize for Best Novel of the Year—have complex, detailed world-building, fully developed characters, and fresh, descriptive language.

That led me to an insight. The label “mystery” is, in a way, a misnomer because it points to only one aspect of the book—the plot. This implies that the plot is paramount, as if detailed worldbuilding and complex characters and fresh, descriptive writing won’t be present, or at least not as present, as in a historical novel. 

But in reducing a book to a single element—the plot—the label “mystery” is like a cheesy trailer for what might be a great movie. It might steer some readers away from a finely wrought book that has many of the elements they love in historical novels! (Perish the thought of missing out on a good read!)

What are these elements? I’d say there are three main ones, common to historical novels and mysteries, that make a book a favorite for me:

First, all good historicals—whether novels or mysteries—rely heavily on worldbuilding. This usually means an author does enormous amounts of research. I have a map of 1870 London on my wall 


with a piece of string kept handy to map distances, so I can estimate, for example, how long it will take my main character to walk from one place to another. Solid worldbuilding means knowing how the streets are paved, who’s traveling on them at different times of day, and how they’re lit (if they’re lit). It means knowing the proper names for things: in 1870s London, a street vendor is called a “costermonger” and a sidewalk is called a “pavement.” I know what people ate in 1870s London, what sorts of books and objects were on tables in a woman’s parlor versus a man’s study, what the weather was like at different times of year, and what people wore, depending on their class.

An author of historicals also must know the specifics of historical events. For example, I set A Trace of Deceit very purposefully in 1875 because it needed to be after the Slade School of Art was founded in 1871, so my heroine Annabel could attend it, and also after the devastating Pantechnicon fire in Mayfair in 1874, so a priceless French oil painting that was supposed to have gone up in ashes can mysteriously reappear in Annabel’s brother’s studio. It’s important to get these small historical details and dates—easily fact-checked—correct. 

But more than that, it’s important to recognize the political, social, legal, and economic aspects that will govern or influence a character’s behavior. For example, in 1860s London, under the legal doctrine of “coverture,” a married woman could not keep her wages, divorce a violent husband, or claim her children as her own. But as of 1870, when the Married Women’s Property Act was passed, she could at last own property. That could be an important plot point, couldn’t it? My point is, it is important to stay true to the times. Victorian women had very real constraints put on their autonomy and behavior, and no amount of “feistiness” in a heroine can overcome that. 

Here are some of my other favorite historical mysteries for worldbuilding: David Liss’s A Conspiracy of Paper (an Edgar Award winner), set in eighteenth-century London, amidst coffee houses, drawing rooms, and bordellos. Another is The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye, set in 1845 New York, with its kerosene lamps, butcher paper, worn tombstones, New England rum, charcoal drawings, and bootprints (within the first two pages). Other favorites are A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, set in 1919 Calcutta; Anne Perry’s William Monk series, set in Victorian London; Baroness Orczy’s classic The Scarlet Pimpernel about the French Revolution; and Lou Berney’s November Road, set in 1963 New Orleans and beyond.


Second, both historical fiction and historical mysteries have narrative arcs that move both forward and backward. The critic Tzvetan Todorov wrote that a mystery novel “contains not one but two stories: the story of the crime and the story of the investigation.” That is, if there is a dead body on page 5, the remainder of the book is discovering how it got there in the first place (the “backstory”). But even in historical novels, there is almost always an ugly secret from the past, a sordid event, or something that led to the situation in chapter 1. If a book is to succeed, the characters have backstories—big, emotional backstories that have shaped their psychology and the way they look at the world. It’s inevitable there will be some skeletons back there. 

For example, in Kate Quinn’s historical novel The Huntress, in post-WWII Boston, the former Russian night bomber and war criminal Nina Markova is masquerading as a soft-spoken German widow. The plot is propelled forward by Ian Graham, a Nazi hunter, and young would-be photographer Jordan McBride, whose questions about The Huntress take them straight back to the crimes of the war. 


Third, they have life-like, psychologically complex characters. Precisely because we are asking readers to journey to another time and place, we have to have our characters deeply believable. They need to breath and live and love and hate before they get to the page, or they come off as mere vehicles for the plot. One of my favorite historicals for this is Stef Penney’s The Tenderness of Wolves. Set in 1867, in the Northern Territory, the main character Mrs. Ross stumbles upon a murder and sees the tracks leading from the dead man’s cabin north toward the tundra. Focalized through half a dozen characters, the story unfolds in a way that reflects the individuals’ old family hurts, systemic racism, long-standing fears and prejudices. I go back and reread this novel every few years for its a psychologically complex cast of characters. 

So I would say that historical mysteries and historical novels are really branches on the same tree. To me, the trunk of that tree is the true mystery (of books, of life)—namely, people’s psychology, motivations, fears, assumptions, behaviors, and beliefs. Where did they come from? What past experiences formed them? What misconceptions does my heroine have? And how must she grow and change in order to resolve whatever problem lies before her? This is the true mystery, after all, because all of us can only know each other in part. 

For more about the books I love, visit my book review blog. (Note: I do not review books I’d rate only one star or don’t finish.)

I’d love to hear about your favorite historicals, of whatever kind. Reach me at my website, on twitter: @karen_odden, or IG: @karen_m_odden. 

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Karen Odden received her Ph.D. in English literature from New York University and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has contributed essays and chapters to books and journals, including Studies in the Novel, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and Victorian Crime, Madness, and Sensation; she has written introductions for Barnes and Noble editions of books by Dickens and Trollope; and she edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture. She freely admits she might be more at home in nineteenth-century London than today, especially when she tries to do anything complicated on her iPhone. Her first novel, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller and won the New Mexico-Arizona 2016 Book Award for e-Book Fiction. Her second novel, A Dangerous Duet, about a young pianist who stumbles on a notorious crime ring while playing in a Soho music hall in 1870s London, won the New Mexico-Arizona 2019 Book Award for Best Historical Fiction. A Trace of Deceit is her third novel. She resides in Arizona with her family and a ridiculously cute beagle named Rosy.

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Thanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for arranging Karen Odden's tour.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Review: A TRACE OF DECEIT by Karen Odden

I've never been a reader of mysteries, but Karen Odden is turning me into one! I read Karen's first Victorian Mystery, A DANGEROUS DUET (William Morrow, 2018) and fell in love with the novel's feisty protagonist, intriguing plot, and convincing Victorian world. Odden's second Victorian Mystery, loosely connected to the first, is even better: A TRACE OF DECEIT (William Morrow, 2019) delves into the dark world of art forgery and auction house corruption as a young female artist struggles to solve her brother's murder and clear his name.

A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden

Publication Date: December 17, 2019
William Morrow
Paperback & eBook; 416 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery/Victorian
From the author of A Dangerous Duet comes the next book in her Victorian mystery series, this time following a daring female painter and the Scotland Yard detective who is investigating her brother’s suspicious death. A young painter digs beneath the veneer of Victorian London’s art world to learn the truth behind her brother’s murder... Edwin is dead. That’s what Inspector Matthew Hallam of Scotland Yard tells Annabel Rowe when she discovers him searching her brother’s flat for clues. While the news is shocking, Annabel can’t say it’s wholly unexpected, given Edwin’s past as a dissolute risk-taker and art forger, although he swore he’d reformed. After years spent blaming his reckless behavior for their parents’ deaths, Annabel is now faced with the question of who murdered him—because Edwin’s death was both violent and deliberate. A valuable French painting he’d been restoring for an auction house is missing from his studio: find the painting, find the murderer. But the owner of the artwork claims it was destroyed in a warehouse fire years ago. As a painter at the prestigious Slade School of Art and as Edwin’s closest relative, Annabel makes the case that she is crucial to Matthew’s investigation. But in their search for the painting, Matthew and Annabel trace a path of deceit and viciousness that reaches far beyond the elegant rooms of the auction house, into an underworld of politics, corruption, and secrets someone will kill to keep.

My Review

    A TRACE OF DECEIT is a mystery with a heart, a compelling story whose emotional resolution is as important to its success as the solving of the crime. An art student living independently in Victorian London after the death of her parents, Annabel Rowe is shocked to learn that her brother Edwin, an artist so talented he'd once turned to forging paintings to feed his opium habit, has been murdered and the valuable painting he'd been cleaning for an auction house has gone missing. Annabel joins forces with Inspector Matthew Hallam of Scotland Yard to uncover evidence that might pinpoint a motive and a murderer. But for all she is determined to uncover the killer, Annabel's true quest is to understand why Edwin's life veered off into the shadowy underworld in the first place. Was he was truly on a path to redemption when he was murdered? If so, how can she forgive herself for withholding her complete forgiveness for the history of hurt and disappointment they shared? Haunted by the possibility that Edwin died thinking himself unforgiven, Annabel works tirelessly to unearth the dark secrets from deep in his past that contribute in no small measure to the complicated fraud his murder is meant to disguise. 
    Annabel's emotional journey unfolds against a rich and convincing Victorian backdrop. The author combines her intimate knowledge of the art world, gained through years of employment at Christie's auction house, with her deep familiarity with the culture and physical reality of 1870's London to evoke a world that feels as real, and as broad, as the reader's own. Annabel and Matthew dodge carriages and horse dung in the streets, interview lords and ladies in elegant salons, threaten newspaper editors in shabby offices, tour a tony boys' school, sweat out an art auction, and stalk criminals at a market. The crime that results in Edwin's murder originates in a historical event--the 1874 destruction by fire of the Pantechnicon, the state-of-the-art warehouse where the rich stored their excess furniture and art--and cleverly incorporates political and social details that completely validate its execution. The era-appropriate psychology and behavior of the characters, combined with the vivid, believable setting make A TRACE OF DECEIT a delightful, satisfying read.
    Karen Odden is an author to watch. Her skillful writing and profound knowledge of the Victorian era have opened a new world to me, and I'm eager to follow her on her next mystery adventure!

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You can read my interview with Karen Odden here. Be sure to return tomorrow to read Karen's guest post, "The 'Mysnomer' in the Label 'Historical Mystery.'"

Find A TRACE OF DECEIT at: 

About the Author

Karen Odden received her Ph.D. in English literature from New York University and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has contributed essays and chapters to books and journals, including Studies in the Novel, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and Victorian Crime, Madness, and Sensation; she has written introductions for Barnes and Noble editions of books by Dickens and Trollope; and she edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture. She freely admits she might be more at home in nineteenth-century London than today, especially when she tries to do anything complicated on her iPhone. Her first novel, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller and won the New Mexico-Arizona 2016 Book Award for e-Book Fiction. Her second novel, A Dangerous Duet, about a young pianist who stumbles on a notorious crime ring while playing in a Soho music hall in 1870s London, won the New Mexico-Arizona 2019 Book Award for Best Historical Fiction. A Trace of Deceit is her third novel. She resides in Arizona with her family and a ridiculously cute beagle named Rosy.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 7 Review at Books and Backroads Review at WTF Are You Reading? Tuesday, September 8 Feature at I'm All About Books Wednesday, September 9 Review at Hallie Reads Thursday, September 10 Review at Gwendalyn's Books Friday, September 11 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit Monday, September 14 Review at Pursuing Stacie Tuesday, September 15 Review at Faery Tales Are Real Wednesday, September 16 Review at Into the Hall of Books Thursday, September 17 Review at Novels Alive Friday, September 18 Review at A Darn Good Read Saturday, September 19 Review at Nursebookie Monday, September 21 Review at Books and Zebras Tuesday, September 22 Review at Passages to the Past Thursday, September 24 Guest Post at Novels Alive Friday, September 25 Review at The Lit Bitch Monday, September 28 Review at Amy's Booket List Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals Tuesday, September 29 Review at Impressions In Ink Review at Writing the Renaissance Wednesday, September 30 Review at Probably at the Library Guest Post at Writing the Renaissance Thursday, October 1 Excerpt at Books In Their Natural Habitat Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective Friday, October 2 Review at Jessica Belmont Review at Jorie Loves A Story Review at View from the Birdhouse

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one paperback copy of A Trace of Deceit! To enter, please use the Gleam form linked below. The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter. A Trace of Deceit

Monday, September 28, 2020

Why Read Historical Fiction Set in Sixteenth Century France? Reason #3

Still looking for reasons to read or write historical fiction set in Renaissance France? Here's one sure to convince you.

Reason #3: DRAMA

There's something about Renaissance dynasty dramas that strongly appeals to modern television audiences. From 2007-2010, THE TUDORS ruled.

Then, from 2011-2013, THE BORGIAS stole the limelight.

 

Even the Medici have had their day (2016-2019).

Now it's time for THE VALOIS, the dynasty that ruled France throughout the sixteenth century. 

The Valois (or more properly, the Valois-Angoulêmes) ruled France from 1515-1589. François I assumed the throne in 1515 and ruled for 32 years, until dying of illness in 1547. His son, Henri II, wed to Catherine de Medici, ruled from 1547-1559. Three of Henri's sons, François II (1559-60), Charles IX (1560-74), and Henri III (1574-1589), ruled in quick succession after him, all with the aid of their shrewd and crafty mother. The reigns of any of these rulers provides plenty of dramatic fodder for novels and film.

François I was only three years younger than England's infamous Henry VIII. The two kings were rivals their entire lives and even died the same year. Thanks to his obsessive wife-swapping, Henry is better known to modern audiences, but drama of all types riddled François's long reign. Highlights include: 

meeting with Henry VIII at the lavish event known as the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520, where each monarch strove to out-dazzle the other with magnificent tents, clothes, feasts, jousts and games; 


being captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by the troops of his archenemy Charles V of Spain, who held him prisoner at Madrid for a year until François surrendered Milan, agreed to marry Charles's sister, and handed over his two young sons, François and Henri, in exchange for his freedom;
inviting Leonardo DaVinci, Rosso Fiorentino, Benvenuto Cellini, Francesco Primaticcio and innumerable other Italian artists to France to transform the kingdom's crumbling fortresses into glittering palaces brimming with art;


enjoying the attentions of beautiful women willing to risk the wrath of his official mistress, the Duchesse d'Étampes, who schemed her way into François's heart, bed, and council chamber;


and forging an alliance with Suleiman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Empire at the expense of his ties with the Holy Roman Empire.


François's son, Henri II, ruled for twelve years after his father's and his older brother's deaths. Having spent four years (from the ages of 7 to 11) in captivity in Spain as a hostage in his father's place, he suffered psychological trauma that caused plenty of drama in his later life. At fourteen, Henri married Catherine de Medici, daughter of a leading family in Florence, who would eventually become a powerful figure in her own right. After worrisome years of no issue, Henri and Catherine eventually had ten children, three of whom took the throne of France. Drama during Henri's life includes:


carrying on a lifelong romantic affair with Diane de Poitiers, 20 years his senior, a relationship that turned physical when he was only 15;


allowing Diane and the powerful Grand Constable, Anne de Montmorency, to estrange him ever further from his father and factionalize the court;


weathering the power struggles between Catherine, Diane, and François's mistress, the Duchesse d'Étampes;


dying unexpectedly at the age of 40 in a jousting accident, when a lance splinter penetrated his eye and lodged in his brain.


François II, Henri's eldest son, ruled for only one year before dying in 1560. He was married to Mary, Queen of Scots, who had been raised at the French court and returned to Scotland upon François's death. (Mary's time in France was the subject of the TV series REIGN, which aired from 2013-2017 and was geared to a Young Adult audience.) François's short reign was marked by power struggles between his mother, the powerful Catholic Guise family, and the rising Huguenot faction, headed by the Prince de Condé.


Charles IX was only ten when he took the throne after François II passed. Because of his young age, Catherine de Medici served as regent. She wielded sweeping powers, especially during the early portion of Charles's 14-year reign, although she continued to influence his decisions throughout. Charles's reign provided plenty of political and personal drama, including


a two-year grand tour of France;


the outbreak of religious war between Catholics and Protestants in 1562, a struggle that would continue until the end of the century;


and the massacre of Protestants gathered for the wedding of Charles's sister Marguerite to the Huguenot King of Navarre in August 1572, known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.


Henri III was the last ruler of the Valois-Angoulême dynasty. Ruling Poland when his brother Charles died of tuberculosis, he returned to take the French throne in 1574. Henri's reign was a complicated one, with continuing religious war compounded by a war of succession, once it became clear that he would die without an heir. 


Courtiers and mistresses jockeyed for favor at his magnificent, highly stylized court.


He was, for a time, considered as a possible husband for Elizabeth I of England.


He was assassinated by a fanatical, knife-wielding Dominican friar who killed him while pretending to deliver important papers. Henri III's untimely death ended the rule of the Valois dynasty. The throne passed to another Henri, the Protestant King of Navarre, who converted to Catholicism and reigned as the first of the Bourbon kings.

Drama defined the course of eight decades of Valois-Angoulême hegemony: imprisonment, massacres, mistresses, murders, glory, vice, and war--and this only includes what happened at court. Take any decade of the sixteenth century in France and you'll find intrigue to rival that of the Tudors, the Borgias, and the Medici--intrigue sure to keep readers turning pages and viewers glued to their streams. It's time to let the Valois take the stage.

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So far, we've examined three reasons to champion sixteenth century historical fiction: ESCAPE, RELEVANCE, and DRAMA. We'll break our examination tomorrow and Wednesday for a book review and an author interview, then pick up the thread on Friday. Happy reading!




Thursday, September 24, 2020

Why Read Historical Fiction Set in Sixteenth Century France? Reason #2

Yesterday, I set out to convince you why reading and writing historical fiction set in Renaissance France was a worthwhile endeavor. The first reason I offered was ESCAPE from the turbulence of our present situation. Today, I offer a second reason: RELEVANCE.

Reason #2: RELEVANCE

While reading historical novels can offer a temporary escape from the troubles of today's world, it can also serve as a means to examine issues at the forefront of our national consciousness. Despite the five hundred years that separate our two eras, today's society continues to grapple with many of the same issues that preoccupied the people of the Renaissance. In the sixteenth century, Western Europe was a world in flux, caught between a renewed appreciation of the arts and wisdom of the ancient Greeks and Romans and the new vistas offered by exploration and the expansion of trade. Although monarchy as a form of government would remain unquestioned for two more centuries, feudal society was beginning to crumble. Class boundaries were becoming more porous as court functionaries gained titles and merchants and tradespeople amassed wealth that allowed them to climb a few rungs up the social ladder. Christians called into question central tenets of the Catholic faith and the supreme authority of the Church. Women were demanding access to education and professions traditionally denied to them. The world was changing with a speed that often left people of the era breathless and unmoored--similar to the way many people feel today. 

Exploration and an expansion of foreign trade brought the people of Renaissance Europe into contact with societies vastly different from their own. Just as readers of today must weigh issues of immigration and globalization, people of sixteenth century had to expand their worldview to incorporate an entire New World and the unfamiliar peoples who inhabited it. Issues of race complicated the quest for resources, as explorers and settlers subjugated and exploited native inhabitants for their own gain. The broadening of the known world affected everything from religious to social to politico-economic thought and required the adjustment of long established systems.

1591 French map of Florida by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues

Portrait of an African Slave Woman
by Annibale Carracci, circa 1580s

Historical fiction that deals with exploration, such as Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account (2014) and Ronald Wright's The Gold Eaters (2016), stir a reader's imagination and conscience, providing new ways to consider the issues of racism and immigration that affect twenty-first century life. 

Religious liberty was another hot topic in the sixteenth century, just as it is today. Even before Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg in 1517 and sparked the Protestant Reformation, French Catholics had been questioning abuses by the Church and agitating for reform. The Wars of Religion broke out in 1562, as Catholic and Protestant armies vied to take control of the country. Bloody battles between the two factions continued through the remaining decades of the century; the infamous St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, in August 1572, resulted in the death of thousands of Protestants. The carnage did not abate until 1598, when the heir to the throne, the Protestant Henri of Navarre, converted to Catholicism. Crowned king, he issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted Huguenots important rights and freedoms.

Luther's Ninety-Five Theses

St. Bartholomew's Massacre by François Dubois

Religious dissension in the sixteenth century often pitted family members, friends, and lovers against each other and caused internal turmoil as individuals were forced to choose a side and publicly defend their beliefs. Issues of individual conscience find ready parallels in today's world, where the battle is not so much between creeds but between secular and religious values. Historical novels such as Robert Merle's The Brethren (English translation, 2019) and Kate Mosse's The Burning Chambers (2018) capture these conflicts and the attention of readers interested in questions of religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

A final issue relevant to modern readers is that of women's rights. During the sixteenth century, women began to clamor for increased participation in the world of men. The right to a humanist education was championed by King François I's own sister, Marguerite de Navarre, a prolific writer, poet, and religious thinker who could hold her own in debate with the male scholars that roamed her brother's halls. Similarly, Marie de Gournay, Michel de Montaigne's adopted daughter, editor, and commentator, published The Equality of Men and Women and The Ladies' Grievance, demanding that women be educated as thoroughly as men. Writers like the poet Louise Labé and artists like the enamelist Suzanne de Court struggled to carve a place and earn respect in literary and artistic circles, while women in trades like printing and brewing endeavored to run their own enterprises.

L'Heptameron of Marguerite de Navarre

Louise Labé by Pierre Woeiriot

Suzanne de Court's signature on an enameled platter

Twenty-first century readers enmeshed in the ongoing struggle for women's rights would find historical fiction such as Jenny Diski's novel about Marie de Gournay, Apology for the Woman Writing (2008),  and Joy McCullough's novel about the painter Artemisia Gentileschi, Blood Water Paint (2018), especially pertinent.

The sixteenth century in France offers authors an abundance of situations ripe for the development of complex characters and riveting conflict. Readers of their works will be pleasantly surprised to discover how closely these engrossing stories parallel the struggles of their own lives and of society as a whole, so many centuries later.  

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Historical fiction set during the Renaissance is both entertaining and culturally relevant. Need another reason to read it? Reason #3 is just around the corner!

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Why Read Historical Fiction Set in Sixteenth Century France? 10 Reasons

In these turbulent times, as society reels from pandemic, natural disasters, and political turmoil, one might reasonably ask: "Why read historical fiction? And why, in particular, historical fiction set in sixteenth century France?" The companion question--why write it?--is one I've been contemplating as the world goes up in flames around me (I live in California, so that is not a figure of speech!). Over a series of posts, I will offer ten reasons why historical fiction set in Renaissance France is worth reading, not only for its entertainment value, but for the light it sheds on issues that continue to challenge society today.

Reason #1: ESCAPE

Reading has always been a way to escape the stresses and tension of daily life, and during the coronavirus lockdowns, people have turned to literature for a reprieve. After an initial dip, book sales are climbing steadily, with e-book sales particularly strong. Whether to distract themselves from their troubles or to enliven the boredom of being cooped up for months on end, quarantined readers are reaching for books more often than ever. Novels set in Renaissance France offer readers ample opportunity to escape the excruciating sameness of days in twenty-first century lockdown.

Do your eyes ache from staring at a computer screen for work or school? Watch journeymen printers pull pages on a Lyonnais printing press instead.

Need some exercise? Gallop through the forest as you hunt with the king.

Photo credit: Andy_Casrol

Tired of retracing the same path through your tiny apartment? Dance a galliard in the ballroom of a sumptuous château. (Be careful not to trip as you stare up at the gorgeous ceiling!) 

Photo credit: Zairon

An engaging novel set in a long ago era has the power to remove you from your present situation for a time, providing a refuge where you can soothe your mind and regain your balance. When everyday life becomes particularly stressful, historical fiction has a distinct advantage over contemporary fiction, for it does not simply translate lived difficulties directly onto the page. Instead of reinforcing and intensifying the malaise of all-to-familiar situations, historical fiction affords a larger perspective against which current circumstances can be better judged and more easily borne.

Even as it distracts and entertains, historical fiction reminds us of a certain truth, one that brings a good measure of comfort: no matter how bad things got in the past, when plague, famine, war, and poverty had consequences far more dire than they do today, societies not only survived, but eventually prospered. Reading a historical novel interrupts the constant stream of breaking news that bombards us with catastrophe to remind us that, in all likelihood, things will turn out fine in the end. 

And if we can laugh and dream and fall in love with a handsome prince along the way, all the better.

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Not yet convinced of the worth of Renaissance historical fiction? Be sure to return for Reason #2.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Festivals, Balls, and Hunts in Honor of Charles V

On this day in 1558, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King François I's longtime enemy, died in Spain. The official social media streams of the Château of Fontainebleau (Twitter: @CFontainebleau, Facebook: Château de Fontainebleau) are commemorating Charles Quint's passing by recalling his visit to France in 1539. The French feed reads: "In December 1539, he arrives at the Golden Gate adorned with the emblem of the King of the Renaissance! Festivals, balls and hunts follow one after the other in this dwelling decorated by the brushes of the greatest Italian artists." The feed includes lovely photos of the Porte Dorée and François's salamander emblem. You can learn about the history and architecture of the château, as well as details about Charles Quint's visit, at the Château website