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Right now I'm reading a great historical fiction book by Edward Rutherfurd, in which he follows several family lines over the course of about 1,000 years all in one geographic area. I've read several of his books that are like this, and I feel very drawn to the medieval portions of all the books.
I'm a little bit of a history geek, and I have a lot of interest in medieval/ middle ages history, mostly English but also continental European. I love historical fiction books that are well-researched and include real historical events and descriptive portrayals of everyday life in that period. So I wanted to find some good medieval fiction books.
But then I search on a few websites for medieval fiction, I keep getting books in my searches that are more in the "fantasy" genre.
I don't want Arthurian legends.
I don't want dragons. Ugh.
I don't want wizards or magic. Corny.
If there are any knights, I'm more interested in their everyday lives and relationships than their "heroic deeds," and please, I don't want play-by-play sword fighting.
I'm not even too thrilled about reading the stories kings and queens. If they're in the background of the story, that's fine. If there is war, it can be in the background, but I'm not big on play-by-play descriptions of warfare.
I'm not really willing to start reading a series, unless the writer is great, so single books (not in a series) would be best. If the book is big and fat, over 600 pages, great! If there are maps in the beginning that I can keep looking at, all the better! I'm looser on the time period: maybe any time after the fall of the Roman Empire until the 1400s. Even in times we now call "the Renaissance," ordinary people were still living very medieval lives.
I love historical fiction that gives minute detail about the foods people prepared and ate, the clothing they wore and how they made it, how their houses are built, how they used the technology of the time, how illness and healthcare were handled. Some people prefer an exciting story, and don't like the minute detail, but I love the detail. I want to close my eyes and SEE it, and imagine what it's like to be in their houses, wearing their clothes, eating their food.
Like I said above, I'm okay with some royalty in the story, in the background, but I'm much more interested in the serfs & farmers living in a feudal society, and "middle class" craftsmen and merchants, guild members, monks. People living in what were ordinary houses, doing common types of work, maybe living through the plague, maybe living under a "lord" or under the thumb of the church. All taking place against the backdrop of well known historical events.
Do any books like this exist? Please let me know if you know of any.
If you read a book and found the descriptive detail tedious, I might consider that a plus!
Thanks.
I think you need to look up some Historical NONfiction. If you find one that appeals to you then look at the references and footnotes which would refer you to other books and papers that might interest you with the detail you like.
I recently went on a tour of Hampton Castle and was lucky enough to tour the kitchens where the guide went into so much detail of HOW foods were prepared, something like 70 kitchens each with different functions. It was fascinating to me so I understand your interest.
Also look up whatever detail you like specifically. There are lots of research papers out there and PhD dissertations that delve into detail. There are people who spend their whole professional lives studying things you might find interesting, a study of fiber.
Thanks, but I do read a lot of nonfiction history. I just want fiction that's very, very close to non-fiction, if that makes any sense. I have read non-fiction about medieval clothing, houses, food prep, medicine, but I want to read about people living with all those things while going about the "story" of their lives. To me Rutherfurd's books are great, because they have that kind of detail, but I admit that once I get into around the 1400s-1500s in any of his books, I'm a little let-down that I'm leaving my favorite period of time.
I just looked up this "Brother Cadfael." Could be interesting, thanks.
So he solves mysteries, but there's lots of detail of medieval life? How many books are there? I lost count in a quick amazon search. There also seems to be a series "Cadfael Omnibus" books. Are they a different series, or should a reader read them all? I like that even though the books are short, there are a lot of them, so I can read them in between other books. Hmmmm.
I just looked up this "Brother Cadfael." Could be interesting, thanks.
So he solves mysteries, but there's lots of detail of medieval life? How many books are there? I lost count in a quick amazon search. There also seems to be a series "Cadfael Omnibus" books. Are they a different series, or should a reader read them all? I like that even though the books are short, there are a lot of them, so I can read them in between other books. Hmmmm.
herbs, gardens, medicine, healing, dentists, tradesmen, etc around a monastic order. And the H. Eco was a good recommendation. Try the Brehon series by Cora Harrison. and there is one series about a widowed gentry lady who was running her manor, the day to day care, etc and trying to avoid being forcibly remarried. I cannot remember the name for the life of me, but if you see book descriptions it might tell you. In the one I read there was description of how she kept her honey bees.
Thanks everyone! Keep 'em coming. I've had the Umberto Eco book on my wish list forever, but always found something else t buy ahead of it. Have to move it up the list...
Her The Sunne In Splendour is an excellent telling of the story of Richard III, presented as a sympathetic character - this is in contrast to the malevolent probable murderer of the Princes in the Tower reputation that is his general reputation, not without reason (and has been for some centuries - and the victors write history, after all).
I would also highly recommend her book Here Be Dragons, about Joanna, illegitimate daughter of King John. History knows very little about her, but she is the central character here, with her husband (the Welsh prince Llewelyn the Great) and King John as major supporting character.
The novel stands alone, though it is chronologically followed by Falls The Shadow, mainly involving Henry II and Simon de Montfort, and then The Reckoning, following the final struggle of the Welsh princes against the English King Edward I.
She has another series (again, the novels stand alone just fine) set before, during and after the Anarchy (1135-1153), and on into the reign of Richard the Lionheart.
She has also written several mysteries set during the same general time, but I have not read any of them.
Her works are very interesting, and she takes pains to make sure her fiction jibes with known historical fact, though at the end of each novel she provides a listing of liberties she took for the purpose of narrative, and notes how the historical record differs from her tale (these are usually relatively minor details).
These are not brief works - they are lengthy tales with a great many characters. Penman is verbose, and delves into great detail about many things. The Sunne In Splendour runs over 900 pages. Whether or not that is your thing, I do not know. But if you're looking for a source of medieval fiction, Penman is it, and she'll provide a lot of reading pleasure before you've exhausted her catalog of stories.
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