Regardless of the time period a story is set, delving into the best fictional history books can transport the reader through time. Many avid readers have experienced the peculiar sensation of becoming lost in a book, only to emerge from their trance hours later, having lost track of time. Meanwhile, they have explored entirely new worlds within the book’s pages. This effect is even more pronounced in the best books about the holocaust, often based on real events. Even those who dozed off during history class in high school may find themselves drawn to this genre. History fans may already know the benefits of learning about the past through a dramatized retelling.
If you’re looking for the ultimate resource for historical fiction or famous literary fiction, look no further than this all-access guide. This comprehensive resource covers various genres, from revisionist and speculative history to traditional historical fiction, from the Biblical era to the early years of the new millennium.
“Memories Dreams and The Grid“
By Gordon Plotkin
This ranks among the best memoir novel entitled on the fictional character named Grid, who wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, “THE ELEVATOR! NO HANK!” a few days before his 19th birthday. He’d just had his first nightmare, the first of two. To date, all of his dreams had been unusually pleasant. And, until a few days before Grid’s 19th birthday, the protagonists were unknown to him. Grid had been dreaming about Mike and Hank, The Brothers Who Weren’t Brothers, the main characters of what played out like a series of movies in his head every night since his second birthday. As a child, he had wondered what it was all about. When he asked his mother, Dolly, she became enraged and lashed out at him. Grid was persuaded that Hank and Mike were not real. Dolly then sternly warned her son not to mention it for fear that people would think Grid was insane like his grandfather. Grid was born on the day he died. She didn’t tell him Mike was his grandfather or that Hank was his uncle but not his biological uncle.
Grid only began to wonder what it was all about after his first nightmare, which occurred days before his 19th birthday on an Israeli Kibbutz. He decided to share his dreams with his roommate for the first time after waking up from his second nightmare screaming, “NO HANK! PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ME!”
“The Name of the Rose”
By Umberto Eco
Set in the 14th century, this novel follows a Franciscan friar named William of Baskerville who arrives at an Italian monastery to investigate a series of murders. Along with his apprentice, Adso of Melk, he unravels a complex web of religious and political intrigue. Eco’s book is a tour de force of historical fiction that brings to life the medieval world with incredible detail and accuracy.
“The Book Thief”
By Markus Zusak
It is 1939—Hitler’s Germany. The nation is gasping for air. The afterlife will continue to be busier than it has ever been. Liesel’s life is transformed at her brother’s grave when she picks up a single item partially buried in the snow. She accidentally left The Gravedigger’s Handbook behind, marking her first instance of book theft. As Liesel learns to read with the aid of her accordion-playing foster father, a love affair with words and books begins. She soon starts taking books from libraries owned by the mayor’s wife and Nazi book burnings, among other places.
“Wolf Hall”
By Hilary Mantel
This book won the Man Booker Prize in 2009 and is the first book in a trilogy that explores the life of Thomas Cromwell, a prominent figure in the court of King Henry VIII. Mantel’s book is a masterpiece of historical fiction that delves deep into the politics, religion, and society of Tudor England. It’s a fascinating insight into one of the most tumultuous periods of British history.
“The Master and Margarita”
By Mikhail Bulgakov
This novel is set in Stalinist Russia and tells the story of the Devil’s visit to Moscow. It’s a blend of satire, fantasy, and historical fiction that captures the mood of the time. Bulgakov’s novel is a masterpiece of Russian literature that explores the power of good and evil and the nature of human desire.
