HFCN #09: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World II
Mar 18, 2024
3 Comments
Books and other reads related to historical fiction for Historical Fiction Craft Notes (HFCN.)
HFCN #09: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World II
HFCN #08: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World I
HFCN #07: Happy New Year and Some Thoughts on Time
HFCN #05: Notes on Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
HFCN #04: How We Might Approach Reading Historical Fiction
An exploration of three reader expectations to help us become more discerning readers and more skillful writers of historical fiction. Shoutouts to these writers: Northrop Frye, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, A. S. Byatt, Margaret Atwood, Tony Kushner, Umberto Eco, William Weaver (translator), and Walter Scott.
HFCN #03: Discovering both “Know-Why” and “Know-How” in Historical Fiction
On imaginatively interpreting “why” things happened as they did along with “how” they happened in our historical fiction. Book recommendations: Martin Puchner. George Eliot, Jerome de Groot, Richard Cohen, Ashutosh Mehndiratta, Michael Ondaatje, and Maggie O’Farrell. And a reading and writing exercise.
HFCN #02: Framing the Central ‘What’ Question
HFCN #01: Introducing the Craft Notes Newsletter
Jenny Bhatt is an author, a literary translator, and a book critic. She is a 2025 NEA Translation Fellow. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student of literature at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has taught creative writing at Writing Workshops Dallas and the PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship Program. Sign up for her free newsletters, We Are All Translators and/or Historical Fiction Craft Notes. Jenny lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Texas. (Photo Credit: Pixel Voyage Photography / Arushi Gupta)
Like this? Share it on.
Support the work.
I earn a tiny affiliate fee if you buy a book using one of the links here. It goes toward funding the free newsletters. All content is the copyright © of Jenny Bhatt and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please ensure proper linkage and attribution (e.g. Bhatt, Jenny. [Newsletter Heading], [Newsletter Name], [mmm-dd-yyyy]) and do not transform, adapt, or remix. Thank you. Contact here if you have questions.
WAAT #68: On Approaching Multiple Translations
HFCN #07: Happy New Year and Some Thoughts on Time
Jenny Bhatt on HFCN #04: How We Might Approach Reading Historical Fiction: “Thanks for stopping by to read and respond, Heather. I’m…” Feb 14, 2025
on HFCN #04: How We Might Approach Reading Historical Fiction: “Okay, this article is seriously making me rethink my entire…” Feb 14, 2025
on HFCN #09: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World II: “The quotes from the novel definitely piqued my interest. I…” Mar 19, 2024
on HFCN #09: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World II: “Great essay! I’m adding this book to my list. Thank…” Mar 18, 2024
on HFCN #09: Reading Historical Novels from Around the World II: “Love your analysis of Efuru, esp its comparison with Achebe’s…” Mar 18, 2024