Book Club: September 2025

We had reports on 7 novels in our dive into historical fiction, ranging in period from the Tudors to the Colonels regime in Greece. By and large we felt that the authors avoided the most obvious problem of historical fiction, where authors insert contemporary characters, preoccupations and outlooks into the past.

We agreed, too, that the main reasons we read historical fiction include:

• Greater understanding of the past (or indeed historical works of literature)
• Fleshing out historical figures known to us mainly through their actions
• Engaging with different cultures, beliefs and mindsets.

Paul Martinez