Fact or Fiction - does it matter?

One genre I enjoy reading is historical fiction which seems to be popular among authors. This is completely understandable as there have been countless fascinating periods in history which contain all great elements for an exciting and touching novel. Just this month alone I have been to the siege of Leningrad, a leper colony in 50s Crete, to Iran spanning generations and I am about to read a fictional account of real people in Joseph O’Connor’s Ghost Light.

You may have also noticed from my ‘What we have learnt from Books’ feature that sometimes I am a stickler for detail. The same goes for when I read historical fiction, I HAVE to know what’s fictional and what’s not, and it seriously bothers me if I don’t know. So quite often my reading is also accompanied by endless visits to Wikipedia and other sites as I educate myself on various subjects.

This might sound like a bore to you and I completely understand why people just want to enjoy the book but personally, I thrive on it. I’ve always had a passing interest in history and I like nothing better than browsing on Wikipedia reading about this stuff. I always find that doing this quite often enhances my reading experience.


A recent example of this would be The Siege. There is a paragraph or two in The Siege which mentions briefly a girl called Tanya Savicheva whose entire family is dead. Because I had briefly looked into the history of this siege I did end up reading about this real historical person. Tanya was an 11 year old girl living in Leningrad at the time of the siege where she worked digging trenches. In her possession was her sister's diary (her sister did not come home from work one day) even when Tanya burned her own diary for fuel she spared her sisters. Tanya added to the diary the deaths of her family members and heartbreakingly the last entry reads ‘Only Tanya is left’. Unfortunately although Tanya was rescued from Leningrad she did not survive. The diary is now on display in a museum in Russia.

I went off topic a little there but this was just to highlight how a couple of paragraphs in a book held more emotional weight with me because I was aware of the true events. This also highlights the meticulous research the author did in order to write The Siege.

What do I think of authors who ‘get it wrong’ when it comes to their research? Well, on the whole I find that 90% of the time authors have been quite meticulous and expertly insert real events alongside their fiction characters. But if they do get it wrong? Well fictional authors are not there to give a detailed history lesson, they are there to entertain and move us and if they change the order of events or speed up certain historical events in order to keep the story moving then I have no problem with it. It is after all historical FICTION.


Unfortunately I do have to confess to knowing more than a couple of people who believe that Philippa Gregory is an actual historian and here is where I guess the danger lies and why historical fiction is sometimes criticised. But I don’t believe this is the authors fault, is it Philippa Gregory’s fault if some readers believe all the events in The Other Boleyn Girl actually happened or that the characters in that book were depicted accurately? Should perhaps there always be a disclaimer in the front of books that do change actual historical events around? I noticed that there is a small note from the author of The Quickening Maze in the back of the book which states that certain historical events in the book have been compressed and that significant individuals have been ignored while other have been invented.I guess this is a topic for a whole other post.

Of course you could just turn around and say to me ‘why the heck don’t you just read non-fiction if you’re that interested in facts’? It’s a fair point but I love the page turning enjoyment you get from a fictional book and I love reading a book and caring about the characters in them. I would therefore get far more enjoyment from reading Doctor Zhivago rather than reading a non-fiction book on the Russian Revolution. Ill just brush up on my Russian history briefly before I begin reading it ;)

Posted by Jess

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Cloud Atlas reads almost like a collection of short stories. There are six different characters over six generations and aside from one character they each have two chapters in which to tell their story. The characters all differ from each other and so to their stories which are based in the past, present or far future. The one thing these different characters do have in common is that they possess the same soul and the same birth mark, which is comet shaped, located on their backs.

Because the book is written in this way some of the characters stories are going to appeal more than others. I found a couple of the chapters almost excruciating and tedious to read while others like the more sci-fi chapters I thoroughly enjoyed. The different characters have all been given a completely different voice to each other and each chapter not only incorporates this but also the time period in which the character lives in. On more than one occasion this caused me to stop reading and think how clever it all was.

Unfortunately overall though I could not link the stories to each other sufficiently to create a common theme which left me wondering what the point of it all was. I was expecting a remarkable conclusion at the end but Mitchell didn’t give me one. I am quite willing to accept that perhaps I just didn't ‘get it’ or perhaps Mitchell didn't want to give the reader all the answers. But while I thought the structure was cleverly written I fail to see why people make such a huge fuss of this book.

Would I recommend it? I think if your thinking of reading this then perhaps you would be better off reading other reviews rather than just going with my thoughts on this one.

Verdict 3/5

Posted by Jess

The Angels Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I very much enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind earlier this year and I was very much looking forward to reading The Angels Game.

For those of you who have read The Shadow of the Wind, The Angels Game is set when Daniel's father was a young man. The book does not focus on Daniel's father; I am just giving you an idea of time-scale involved.

The main protagonist, David, is a struggling writer specialising in sensationalist novels. One day he is approached by a strange man offering a fortune to David if he writes a book which will have the ability to change people. It’s not long before David notices that sinister things are afoot with both the book he is writing and the very house he is occupying.

I really liked some of the characters in this and David himself is interesting and at times complex. For me though his sassy, but also spoilt, teenage housekeeper/assistant Isabella stole the book for me. I was also surprised to learn Isabella's identify and how she ties up with The Shadow of the Wind.

Once again Ruiz gives the reader a vivid, atmospheric and Gothic Barcelona. David spends large portions of the book running around Barcelona looking for clues and digging up the past as he goes. Unfortunately The Angels Game had a much slower pace which seemed to drag sporadically throughout the 500 pages as the story became more and more convoluted. Large parts of the plot were either not explained fully or were illogical and at times it felt like the book was rambling. The central romance between David and his lover Christina also fell a little flat for me but this might be because I could not see what on earth David ever saw in her or why he pursued her.
Despite my criticisms I still found this an engaging and at times an enjoyable read and I enjoyed Ruiz's writing enough to want to read the next instalment in this series.

Would I recommend this? If you enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind and want a similar atmosphere and to read the next instalment then yes. It is however worth noting that Zara from This Bookish Life read The Angels Game without realising that it was linked to The Shadow of the Wind so therefore couldn't compare and she really enjoyed it.

Verdict 3/5

Posted by Jess

BTT 55 questions from Jess

This meme is about a week old now but for fun I answered all 55.

1. Favourite childhood book?
The Adventures of the Wishing-chair by Enid Blyton
2. What are you reading right now?
See right
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
The Real Thing by Henry James, they have to get it out of storage for me.
4. Bad book habit?
Losing bookmarks, I'm forever buying more
5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville and The Rich Boy by F.Scott Fitzgerald
6. Do you have an e-reader?
Hopefully I will very soon. Ive had my eye on a kindle for a long time
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Normally one but sometimes Ill have both a hard read and an easier read on the go
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I read a lot more
9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far?)
I read loads more
10. Favourite book you’ve read this year?
The Great Gatsby, but there are loads I could have said.
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not often I admit
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
I don't particularly like Crime, Chick lit or fantasy so anything else
13. Can you read on the bus?
Nooooooo I get travel sick terribly
14. Favourite place to read?
One the sofa after my sons gone to bed
15. What is your policy on book lending?
I have a shelf on my bookcase that is solely for books which I want to lend out to various people.
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but not any more
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No, what am I in school?
18. Not even with text books?
See above
19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English – being the only one I can read in
20. What makes you love a book?
If there's something in the book which is original and I haven't thought about before.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I don't believe in forcing books onto people so Ill only recommend a book if I'm sure the person will love it.
22. Favourite genre?
Literary fiction
23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
I wish I got on more with YA books
Favourite biography?
I was enjoying Marie Antoinettes before I gave up
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I did read Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus when I was 14
26. Favourite cookbook?
The Essential Student Cookbook by Cas Clarke. I've never been a student but when I first moved in with Chris this book was invaluable. The recipes are stupid simple and use only the cheapest ingredients. There's even a section with a list of things everyone should have in their cupboards.
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Wedlock by Wendy Moore
28. Favourite reading snack?
Cup of coffee
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Passage
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't read critics only my fellow book bloggers but on the whole I think I agree with the masses.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don't think about this blog that seriously to get worried over things like this
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Russian without a doubt
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Turn of the Screw – I know its only short but I really struggled to read this
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Les Miserables
35. Favourite Poet?
I'm not a poem person but I am making my way through a set of poetry books I won and am enjoying the Simon Armitage ones at the moment
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
1 or 2
37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Never
38. Favourite fictional character?
At this moment in time Mary from Jamaica Inn springs to mind
39. Favourite fictional villain?
Cathy from East of Eden
40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
I try to bring something that's set in the country I'm visiting
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Oh months I'm sure
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
One Hundred Years of Solitude – I struggled and gave up exactly half way through
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
If my sons awake then him. He also loves books and will constantly shove one in my hands when I'm reading. Or sometimes he will just snatch a book out of my hands making me feel like a guilty mother.
44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
Atonement
45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Marley & Me
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
About £50 but this doesn't happen often
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Never
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If the thought 'maybe I should give up' enters my head when reading then normally thats the beginning of the end.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes although I have less than a bookcases worth
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Give them away. But I'm like this in all areas of my life I'm not want you would call sentimential.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
The Girl with the dragon Tattoo. The film was violent enough.
52. Name a book that made you angry.
Cant think of one
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Tender is the Night
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
The World According to Garp
55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Sookie Stackhouse books although I haven't read the last three as they started to get quite samey

Posted by Jess

Reading Dilemma N'3

Normally I have no qualms whatsoever in putting down a book I am not enjoying, I usually go by the wonderful 'Rule of 50' (If I don't like a book after 50 pages the book is consigned to the 'failure pile', soon to be shipped off to the literary purgatory of the local charity shop) However there is one book which consistently haunts me in my dreams; no matter how many times I try to put it down and forget about it, no matter how I long to send to it the failure pile, never to darken my bookcase again; I cannot do it.

It is in fact two books rolled into one; 'The Voyage of the Beagle' and 'The Origin of Species' both written by the illustrious Charles Darwin and they torment me.

Charles Darwin is a man I greatly admire. Of course he is not popular with everyone but in my opinion he is one of the greatest figures in human history. Darwin's most famous and influential work is 'The Origin of Species' the book in which he puts forward his controversial theory of evolution which caused a tremendous stir in the 19th century and, in some places, still does today.

There is only one hitch; I am not a scientific person, not in the least. My science grades at school were poor, I have very little interest in why an apple fell on Newton's head or how many atoms are in the average human body (7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 apparently!) a lot of what Darwin wrote I can't understand or it bores me. He was not a natural writer and his style is dry to say the least. He also flits from subject to subject very quickly making it difficult to get a grasp on what he is saying a lot of the time and the language is very archaic in places. The books together are 933 pages long with tiny print. I have reached page 325 and feel ready to have a stroke but I keep plodding on.

Should I continue reading this book? I don't honestly know but something is keeping me from putting it down. I feel I am reading it just for the sake of it but I can't get rid of the damn thing without feeling guilty.

They say nothing worth doing is easy but when it comes to books I beg to differ!

The Siege by Helen Dunmore

While Chris has an interest in reading non-fiction books about the First and Second World War, my interest in this period tends to be confined to historical fiction. So after reading Jackie at farmlanebooks review of The Siege and then going shopping mad (and I mean mad) at thebookpeople.com I very quickly devoured The Siege.

Set during The siege of Leningrad which started towards the end of 1941, the book follows a small family which includes a child as they endure the worst of a Russian winter with no electricity or running water while living on their meagre rations of 250 grams of bread for a worker and 125 grams for a non-worker.

The siege of Leningrad lasted around 2 ½ years and saw the deaths of more than one million civilians from starvation. Very few supplies were able to get into the city and as well as this the civilians also had to put up with being shelled on a daily basis.

There are a couple of love stories within the book but once the worst of the Siege takes hold the only thing on anyone's mind is food and survival. These thoughts occupy the minds of the characters throughout much of the book, there are no thoughts for the future or who they think is winning this battle, the conversations and commentary is focused on the hunger, cold and rumours of where firewood can be found.

Parts of the book contains commentary from Pavlov; the nutritionist who tries over and over to make the figures work and ultimately decides the amount of rations each person can have. Aside from this though we get to see little of the bigger picture. We know the Germans are there because we read about the effects of their shelling but Dunmore does not show the reader the effect on the Germans at the front line. This is not a criticism, I think Dunmore was wise to do this. By focusing on the civilians she is able to allow the reader to really get to know the main characters and to get the reader to care whether they live or survive.

This is not a light subject but the pace of the book and the matter-of-fact way in which this is written makes this quite a fast read which I couldn't put down.

I would highly recommend this.

Verdict 4/5

Posted by Jess