HISTORICAL FICTION FOR TODAY

摘要

Whether they Choose to visit "belowstairs," the bloody trenches of World War I, or one of Moscow's grand hotels just after the Russian Revolution, readers who pick up a historical novel set in the 20th century know that even a brief immersion in the past will give them plenty to reflect on about the world today. The most recent period that qualifies as "historical fiction" (defined here as books set 50 or more years in the past not written by an author with firsthand experience of the period), the 1900s were marked by immense scientific and technological progress and also unimaginable violence, hatred, and bloodshed. For a modern-day reader, titles set during this time offer some sense of escape even as they address still-relevant issues.