Much of my reading can be described as contemporary fiction but I sometimes stick my toe in the historical fiction water. I was convinced that was a rare occurrence but, apparently, I’ve read enough to put together several of these posts spread across different centuries. I should start off 
in the twentieth century but that doesn’t yet feel like historical fiction to me so below are five novels set in the nineteenth century, four with links to full reviews on this blog.
In Andrew Miller’s Now We Shall Be Entirely Free a cavalry officer, invalided out of the disastrous Peninsular War, finds himself unable to return to it, instead making for Scotland when he’s recovered from his injuries. Assaulted and robbed in Glasgow, Lacroix finds his way onto a supply boat heading for the Hebrides where he meets the veteran of another war and is taken in by three English siblings awaiting the leader of their utopian community. Meanwhile, a ferocious English corporal, accompanied by a Spanish officer, is on his tail. Miller pulls a thread of suspense nicely taut in this absorbing novel, alternating Lacroix’s narrative with Calley and Medina’s chase.
Set in 1885, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, follows nineteenth-century debate through the reactions of a small group of characters to reports of a winged serpent, thought to be roaming the marshes around the village of Aldwinter. Well acquainted with current theories of science and rationality, Will Ransome, the local parson, is convinced there’s a logical explanation. The newly widowed Cora Seagrove hears of the serpent and thinks it may be a ‘living fossil’. When Cora and Will renew their acquaintanceship, there’s a flash of understanding which results in a passionate, intensely cerebral friendship. Perry delivers her novel of ideas in gorgeously vivid prose.
Through a series of brutal murders committed in a Swedish village, Mikael Niemi’s To Cook a Bear explores the life of another cleric, Læstadius, the founder of an evangelical Revivalist movement still in existence today. The pastor is convinced a violent criminal is on the loose but the sheriff will have none of it setting the scene for a clash that will further deepen the divisions in the parish. Assisted by Jussi, the young Sami boy he’s rescued from destitution, the pastor sets about his investigations, convinced he’s engaged in a battle against evil. Niemi maintains his story’s suspense well but for me it was its setting and cultural exploration that made this novel such an interesting read.
Despite weighing in at a thumping 864 pages, Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White never plods or drags its 
feet propelling its readers through the story of Sugar, the object of a rich man’s sexual obsession, and Agnes, his wife. Sugar is prostitute, bright, sassy and beautiful, who sees an opportunity to make something of herself when the heir to a fortune buys her from her mother and sets her up in a luxurious flat. Agnes, William’s wife, is the antithesis of Sugar, otherworldly, delicate, hardly aware of her own daughter. As Sugar uses her business acumen to further William’s career, inveigling her way into his household as a governess, Agnes becomes increasingly unhinged but a curious sympathy between the two women begins to develop. Faber takes these two Victorian female archetypes reworking them into a thoroughly modern, gripping piece of fiction.
Sarah Moss’s Bodies of Light is also about women making their way in the world and the challenges 
– sometimes mortal danger – they faced. The daughter of a strictly religious, frighteningly exacting mother, Elizabeth marries a worldly arts and crafts designer with whom she has two daughters. Intent on helping Manchester’s impoverished women, Elizabeth has neither time nor inclination for indulging her children. Singled out at school, Ally resolves to become a doctor. She’s amongst the first women to study medicine in London, enduring insults and patronising comments from male colleagues but determined to qualify. It’s impossible not to cheer Ally on as she grows from a fragile young woman desperate to please her draconian mother into a feminist unafraid to speak her mind. Moss followed her novel with a sequel, Signs for Lost Children in which Ally practices as a doctor in Truro ‘s asylum.
Any favourite nineteenth-century historical novels you’d like to share?
If you’d like to explore more posts like this, I’ve listed them here.
I liked Bodies of Light, Crimson Petal and the White and The Essex Serpent, though didn’t totally fall in love with any of them. I prefer actual C19th novels to C19th historical novels but loved Sarah Waters’s Affinity and Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries, to pick the first two that come to mind!
So many years in the book trade seems to have conditioned me to reach for new books. I enjoyed Affinity but didn’t get on with The Luminaries at all, sadly.
Well, I’ve read – and thoroughly enjoyed – your first three choices (How could you not choose a book entitled ‘To Cook a Bear’?). I’m rather daunted by the idea of 864 pages, but the Faber definitely sounds worth a punt. As does the Moss. I’ve recently enjoyed Michael Crummey’s The Innocents, set in 19th century Lapland – the story of two children orphaned in this unforgiving landscape and their struggles to survive. Petina Gappah’s Out of Darkness Shining Light imagines Livingstone’s journey across Africa – after he had died, and his corpse was carried back to the coast for interrment in England. And tells it through the mouths of Livingstone’s loquacious cook Halima and his pompous servant Jacob Wainwright. Both novels bring the places in which they are set to life.
I know what you mean about the Faber’s chunkster proportions but, trust me, you won’t notice that once you’re stuck in. Thanks for the recommendations. The Crummey sounds interesting as does the Gappah. I remember loving her The Book of Memory.
Nice novels
Thank you
I seem to have had a bit of a nineteenth century thing going on recently – The Household by Stacey Halls, James by Percival Everett, Dark Frontier by Matthew Harffy, The Small Museum by Jody Cooksley, Clear by Carys Davies and The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry all read in the last six months! Now We Shall Be Entirely Free was the book that first got me into Andrew Miller’s novels.
Some great recommendations here, Cathy. Thank you! I’ve read and loved both Clear and James, and I’m keen to read The Heart in Winter. I’ll check out your other titles. Miller’s a fine writer of historical fiction, isn’t he.
I loved Andrew Miller’s book as his writing drew me into the particular world in the book. I think this is the sign of a good contemporary writer who writes historical novels. Tom Crewe does the very same in the brilliant A New Life. Have read Everett’s and Barry’s books recently, both straddling and earlier period with modern ideas and language. On a short trip to Paris last week I bought Madame Bovary, set in 19th century, in Shakespeare and Co bookshop (a treasure trove of a shop). When I get time to read remains to be seen!
Ah, I envy your visit to Shakespeare and Co. You can relive your trip when you get around to reading the Flaubert!
I’ve gone from being a voracious reader of historical fiction to, well, not reading it so much! It does, however, seem to be enjoying quite a moment these days (perhaps Hilary Mantel had something to do with this?) as demonstrated by your very interesting list. I’ve really, really considered Faber’s Crimson Petal but, like others, have been deterred by its length (wasn’t it the basis of some television drama or other?). The Sarah Moss books have an ancient & respected spot on my TBR. As for Sarah Perry, she’s so enormously talented (I’ve just finished Enlightenment & read Melmoth several years back — two more historical novels); I’ll get to Essex Serpent but it’ll have to wait!
I’m sure you’re right about the Mantel effect. Also about that Faber TV adaptation which was excellent. Don’t be put off by those 800+ pages, though; it has quite a pace to it.
Bodies of Light sounds terrific, thanks!
It is! And you’re welcome, Jane.
I do love Sarah Moss’s books. Must check this one out!
She’s such a great writer, and a versatile one, too. Hope you enjoy this one!
Thank you for the reminder about To Cook a Bear! I’d forgotten about it and it sounds a great tale.
I wasn’t sure I’d get around to it when it arrived but I’m glad I did. Fascinating book and a great piece of storytelling.
The Andrew Miller is a good choice – I found the info about hospital practices fascinating.
The Crimson Petal on the other hand is a book I wish I’d not read. it was so, so dull
Oh, dear. One of those agree to differ books. I hope you didn’t plod on to the end.
I loved To Cook a Bear. Of course you’re right about it being 19th-century but somehow it feels much further away in time than that – maybe the rugged setting makes it feel less modern.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. It’s a remote setting, isn’t it, and would have felt very isolated at that time. I watched an excellent crime series set in this century about the same sect on Walter Presents.
To cook a bear is a very eye catching title!
Hard to resist!
I honestly didn’t like the Essex serpent when I watched it on Netflix; it just seemed okay!
Here’s hoping the book will be better!
Ah, I didn’t know it had been adapted. I can see quite a lot of the book wouldn’t make brilliant TV – there’s a lot of debate about the ideas of the time which I suspect would have been cut. Did the turn it into a love story?
You remind me how little historical fiction I read. I’ve been wracking my brains to think of a novel set in the 19th century that I loved and the only one I can think of is Woolf’s The Years and that’s a cheat because only the first chapter is in the 1800s. There are actual 19th century books I love – Kleist’s short stories, Balzac’s The Wild Ass’s Skin and Cousin Bette, Trollope’s Chronicles of Barset, etc, etc. I’ll have to pick something from your list and give it a go – I think Sarah Moss speaks to me the most.
I was quite taken aback at the number of historical novels I’ve read relatively recently. It’s not a genre I seek out. I’ve a feeling that if I got stuck into Trollope I’d enjoy his work.