Hot take: I thought historical fiction was boring until last month

My book club picked 'The Night Watchman' for our July meeting and I almost skipped it. I figured it'd be dry and full of dates I'd forget. But by chapter 3 I was hooked on the characters and the whole Native rights story. Now I'm the one suggesting more historical picks. Has anyone else been surprised by a genre they thought they hated?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph4551mo ago

Does anyone else find that getting into a genre you thought you'd hate is like that thing where you discover a food you swore was gross is actually pretty good? I mean @the_spencer mentioned characters feeling real and raw, and I think that's the key-when you're not being hit over the head with a "lesson" but instead you're just following people through their lives, it changes everything. It reminds me of how I used to hate going to museums as a kid because they felt like homework, but now I'll wander through a historical house and get lost imagining who slept in the bed or cooked in the kitchen. Maybe it's just the way we're wired to connect with people's stories more than dates or events, so when a book or a place makes that feel natural, it opens a door you didn't know was there.

the_spencer1mo ago

I really felt that "I almost skipped it" line because that was me with historical fiction too. I used to think all of it was just big battles and boring dates but then I picked up "The Book of Night Women" by Marlon James by accident. It completely changed my mind because the characters felt so real and raw, not like they were just there to teach me a history lesson. That book showed me how historical fiction can make you feel like you're living through the time instead of just reading about it. Now I'm always looking for that same kind of story that hooks you with people first and history second.