Historical fiction is a popular genre, with lots of very successful and skilled exponents. The Tudor period seems to have particular appeal (I’m thinking of Phillipa Gregory’s ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’, and Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy).

I can see that readers enjoy being immersed into past worlds (without actually having to be there of course – those were harsh times!) But while it’s fun to imagine how life might have been in past times (with a creative writer as your guide) there is a danger we might forget what we’re reading is speculative, and assume it’s a true reflection of the real thing. There’s a risk that Hilary Mantel’s version of Thomas Cromwell becomes the version we imagine to be the real Thomas Cromwell.

Authors change facts to suit their narrative, and put words into the mouths of historical figures – words that were never spoken. When reading historical fiction, it’s easy to forget that the history element is usually heavily embellished, put into modern language, re-interpreted with modern morality, and might actually not be very accurate.

The classic example, for me, is Peter Schaffer’s very successful play, Amadeus, (later adapted as a hit movie), in which Mozart is driven to an early death by the machinations of his fellow composer Salieri, who was insanely jealous of the younger man’s talent. It’s a great story, but that’s almost certainly all it was – a story. Mozart and Salieri were contemporaries, but there’s little or no evidence their relationship was anything other than amicable and professional.

And yet, the other day I heard a radio three presenter introduce a piece by ‘Mozart’s bitter rival, Salieri’. Schaffer’s fictional imaginings seem to have crept into our collective consciousness, usurping the actual history. Which is rather a shame, because while Salieri’s music might not have quite the dynamism and flourish of Mozart’s, he was nevertheless a capable and accomplished composer, whose music deserves to be heard. I know he’s dead now, so will never know just what a bum rap he’s been landed with – he’s been turned into a hideous villain – but all the same, I’d rather history wasn’t distorted in this way. I guess that’s just what happens when creative writers dip into history to find stories to tell. The fictional history can very easily obscure the real one.

It’s a conundrum, because looking at it another way, historical fiction is a good way to keep history alive – to bring it to life. And in any case, we know that much of the history that comes down to us was written by people who may have been inclined to distort the truth, to follow a particular bias or agenda. History, as the saying goes, is written by the victors. [1.]

So I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t continue to enjoy historical fiction – there are some great stories out there. Just bear in mind that what you’re reading is at least as much fiction as history, and may not be all that accurate historically.

text & photo © graham wright 2024

[1.] Interestingly, I named my son Victor, in the hope he would grow up to be a historian. It didn’t work out. He ended up running a shop selling kitchen seconds. I forgot about that other saying – ‘to the Victor, the spoils’!