Historical Fiction Recommendations

[HLS]

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

[issybird]

Originally Posted by hildea

But the worst part is a lenghty infodump in chapter 37 about conditions in the south after the war. It mentions KKK by its full name, and claims that it was founded by "tragic necessity" to protect white women from former slaves. There's also a lot about how Black people were happier as slaves. I was about to quote some examples, but can't stomach it.

I remember reading an analysis about Mitchell’s endorsement of the Klan that discussed how, after going moribund in the 19th century, the Klan was revived in the early 20th century and its targets were broadened to include immigrants, Catholics and Jews. In invoking the Klan and its original “noble” motivations, she was trying to divorce itself from its current incarnation, since she had been raised Catholic. She was uncomfortable with the notion that she had gone from a “protected” category to a target.

It absolutely doesn’t excuse the prevalent racism in the book, but I think GwtW is most interesting as an expression of attitudes in the 1920s, when Mitchell was writing it. Not only did that involve racism, but also elements of ethnicism and, obviously, nascent feminism.

I must add, as an aside, that I loved GwtW as an adolescent, but I couldn’t read it now for the reason you mention.

[Paperbackstash]

If you like slow paced mysteries with great writing style, I recommend Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbitt series to try on for size. The Audible versions are well-done if you prefer that format.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by HLS

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Hm, I'm reading that on the side right now. I recommended it to someone to fit a challenge we were both struggling with; he read it and told me after we both bought and started it that it didn't fit the challenge after all. So far I'm enjoying it, but he did not. I'm currently about 42% in

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by hildea

<off topic>
It's a long time since I read Huck Finn, but as far as I remember, slavery is portrayed as a bad thing there. In Gone With the Wind, slavery is portrayed as good, the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War is portrayed as bad for both white and black people, and Ku Klux Klan are describes as heroes.

Gone with the Wind is certainly a unique book in many regards. You are correct it is not a moral lesson against slavery or the South - I take it as Scarlett being a detestable character in about every way possible, though. Rarely do I enjoy a book so much when I dislike the heroine to such a degree. Mitchell did a weird thing taking a spoiled and unlikable lead and making such a good book - but the writing style reads beautifully to me and the characters, flawed and all, kept me reading.

I'm sad to say I don't like Huck Finn. I find the book boring and the writing style laborious.

[SeaBookGuy]

I loved Jane Harris' The Observations set in Victorian Scotland. One of the few examples where an author does an outstanding job reading her own work.

Another highly recommended title would be The Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. Set in Japan on the verge of WW II, showing the tension between the outgoing traditional ways, and westernization.

The Frangipani Tree Mystery is the first in a series by Ovidia Yu, showing colonial Singapore from a non-white point-of-view.

Also from a non-white point-of-view: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, first in her series featuring 1920's Mumbai solicitor Perveen Mistry; as much about sexism as racism.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

Also from a non-white point-of-view: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, first in her series featuring 1920's Mumbai solicitor Perveen Mistry; as much about sexism as racism.

A warning - those who have some familiarity with India may find this book's style VERY irritating. I dropped it after a lengthy conversation early in the book between a group of Farsis explaining how each of them got their "wala" surnames. REALLY clunky exposition and insulting both to the readers and the characters, it simply would not happen.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

A warning - those who have some familiarity with India may find this book's style VERY irritating. I dropped it after a lengthy conversation early in the book between a group of Farsis explaining how each of them got their "wala" surnames. REALLY clunky exposition and insulting both to the readers and the characters, it simply would not happen.

I have been to India several times, and that point was lost on me. Oh well...

(It's Parsee rather than Farsi, I believe?)

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I have been to India several times, and that point was lost on me. Oh well...

(It's Parsee rather than Farsi, I believe?)

transliteration is a drag, especially from a script where one letter does double duty for both the English 'equivalents'.