Historical novel set in the 1700s

wWhat drew you to the 1700s as a historical novelist?

In my own school history lessons, and in much of the historical fiction I grew up reading, there was a heavy focus on the Tudor and Victorian periods – yet amidst those well-established eras, the 18th century seemed a little neglected. But there’s a lot of fascinating content out there! Enlightenment, revolutions, the horrors of colonialism…

I became obsessed with the 1700s when writing about the ‘Golden Age’ of piracy in my first historical novel, salt blood. When the time came for my next novel, I couldn’t muster the courage to pull myself away from it. I felt that I’d spent so much time in the 18th century, and done so much research – especially into the maritime setting of the 1700s – that it would be a waste not to revisit that time.

Actually this happened during research salt blood that I first met Alexander Selkirk, who became the basis of my next novel, cast away. Selkirk was a real-life Scottish sailor who had extraordinary survival skills on a remote island. inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. Selkirk is rescued by Woodes Rogers, who is involved in salt blood Because he later went to the Bahamas and led a crackdown on pirates.

Although I encountered Selkirk while researching that first novel, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. His story touches on what makes the 18th century so fascinating: exploration, warfare, colonialism, and even the creation of possibly the first realistic novel in English. As a subject Selkirk was irresistible.

Your first novel recommendation, by Francis Spufford Golden HillDepicts Manhattan in the 1740s and channels the sounds of the 18th century. Will you tell us more?

In 1746, the mysterious Mr. Smith arrives in New York like a grenade, setting off a sequence of events that are both extremely surprising and absolutely inevitable. In Golden HillSpofford captures many of the powerful elements that make the period so fascinating: his portrait of a nascent Manhattan is a powerful blend of empire, race, and class.

Golden Hill Connects with history very thoughtfully and cleverly. It walks a very fine line of being post-modern, satirical and self-reflexive, but somehow makes us, as readers, care very deeply and sincerely about the characters and the story. In this sense it reminded me a bit of Michel Faber crimson petals and white:Each of these brilliant historical novels is simultaneously an example of a certain type of novel, and a beautifully honest example.

Spufford’s writing has a tremendous vitality that reflects the explosive energy of New York at that time. And even though it’s been a decade since I read it Golden HillIt depicts a death scene with such vividness that it still haunts me with its gruesome details. The ending is grandly open-ended, and the various changes in narration approach serve to refresh the long narrative. And always, throughout, we are guided by Spofford’s sharp-eyed intelligence and detailed imagination. This is an absolutely excellent novel.

The next historical novel set in the 1700s that we’re going to discuss is one of my all-time favorite books: Hilary Mantel’s place of greater security. Would you like to introduce it to our readers?

Focusing primarily on a few key figures of the French Revolution – Robespierre, Danton, Desmoulins – Mantel manages to create an incredibly rich and epic tapestry that somehow incorporates both massive historical events and intimate, personal insight into these figures’ childhoods, feelings and relationships. And given that many readers already know a lot about how the revolution unfolded, it’s impressive that Mantel kept us engaged, especially given the sheer size of the novel—I used it as a makeshift yoga brick during the COVID lockdown! His hypothesis about this period is completely profound; You emerge, blinking, amazed at what Mantle has accomplished.

Where do you see the line between historical biography and historical fiction about a real person or, in this case, real people?

This question becomes even more important from an ethical perspective when dealing with living people, or even people with close relatives still alive. When it comes to novels from centuries ago, I worry less about the morality of it – I think readers are intelligent enough to understand that in fiction an author will inevitably fill in many of the gaps in the record. But I also think readers are savvy enough to appreciate when an author does her research, and I enjoy a good ‘author’s note’ at the end of a novel that provides some clarity about where the line is between fact and fiction.

Yes me too.

For my own historical novels, I do enormous amounts of research, and even when speculating I try not to include anything that might be refuted by the historical record. And if you do your job right, the invented parts will also be informed by all the research you’ve done, and that should make them richer and more plausible. But I have been lucky, or perhaps shrewd, in choosing historical figures about whom we know a little, but not much. This is the sweet spot where a novelist can play!

How did you approach the research for your new novel? cast away?

I considered all the usual things you’d expect from historical research: the accounts of his rescuers, particularly Woodes Rogers, who gives a fascinating account of the practical details of Selkirk’s survival on the island; historical maps; Several other records from the archives, including ‘Kirk Sessions’, details of local Scots church courts, reveal that Selkirk was twice taken to these courts for wild behavior in his youth.

But given the extreme and specific nature of Selkirk’s experience as a fugitive, I also did a lot of experiential research. For example, I camped alone on a remote Tasmanian island for a week, and I learned how to cure and tan animal hides using traditional methods.

Very good.

This process is as disgusting as you can imagine. I believe that these less traditional forms of research taught me as much about Selkirk as many historical documents.

I can see that. Your next recommendation is a 1985 novel by Patrick Suskind Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. It is a historical novel that offers a different view of Paris in the 1700s.

Perhaps this is not surprising for a novel about perfume, where Suskind’s book excels in its sensory evocation of the period. The protagonist, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, travels from Paris to Grasse through the bottom of mid-18th century France, following his excellent sense of smell, which is both his blessing and his curse. Scent is one of those senses that is extremely difficult to capture in words, yet Susskind manages it brilliantly, so that while we are disgusted by Grenouille’s crimes, we find ourselves caught up in his urges, almost becoming complicit.

The novel builds to a bloody climax, an intense sensory frenzy that you will never forget – no matter how much you might want to.

Next, you have chosen to recommend Marlon James’ The book of the ladies of the night. It is the story of a woman born into slavery in Jamaica in the late 18th century. Will you tell us more?

James’ book of ladies of the night It was an easy choice for this list because of its incredibly powerful narrative voice. Its narrator tells the story of Lilith, who was born into slavery on the Montpelier estate in Jamaica in the late 18th century. While Lilith’s suffering and resilience under slavery are naturally compelling, what almost overwhelms the reader is the astonishing language used to describe them. The novel is written in a charming Jamaican language, which brings freshness to every sentence. It’s an extremely difficult novel, because of the traumas that Lilith survives – but it feels urgent and true, and I recommend it to everyone.

Thank you. Your final recommendation on a historical novel set in the 1700s disguisedBy Georgette Heyer. Tell us about it.

Heyer is best known for her novels set in the Regency period, but she has a few novels set in the 18th century, and her writing is so delightful that I couldn’t resist including one of them. disguised A highly entertaining romance with a touch of Shakespeare twelfth NightAs a pair of Jacobite twins, Robin and Prudence, cross dress to conceal their identities. It was published in 1928, so the usual disclaimers about outdated gender roles apply – there are plenty of ‘skilled’ men, and questionable notions of consent – ​​but despite this, the thread of potential queerness running throughout the novel makes its gender politics more interesting than many such books. And the twins’ father is a truly memorable character – a glorious, maddening creature of pure ego. The archaic language that Heyer uses takes a little time to get used to, but once you do, I defy you not to enjoy this absurd and witty novel.

Has spending so much time in the mind of the 18th century changed the way you see the world?

I think it has made me more aware of the currents of power at work in the world. Looking back we can look at the 1700s and see very clearly various forces at work – the expansion and consolidation of empires by the European powers; the constant flow of wealth which they extracted from their colonies; Resistance, rebellions and revolutions were the inevitable results of various systems of oppression.

Because that was the naval age, you can trace these flows of wealth and power almost as clearly as the shipping routes that were so important at that time. I think, or maybe hope, that being immersed in that era has made me more aware of how power and wealth are still transmitted – no longer by sail, but still understood and still interconnected. And the history of the 18th century has taught me a lot that resistance and resilience are as necessary now as they were in the 1700s.