Medieval fiction that's not fantasy? (edition, cover, ebook, characters)
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Her works are very interesting, and she takes pains to make sure her fiction jibes with known historical fact, though at the end of each novel she provides a listing of liberties she took for the purpose of narrative, and notes how the historical record differs from her tale (these are usually relatively minor details).
These are not brief works - they are lengthy tales with a great many characters. Penman is verbose, and delves into great detail about many things.The Sunne In Splendourruns over 900 pages. Whether or not that is your thing, I do not know. But if you're looking for a source of medieval fiction, Penman is it, and she'll provide a lot of reading pleasure before you've exhausted her catalog of stories.
Sounds great, and the things in blue are making me salivate!
Please tell me there's a map in the front of every book too!
The first thing that popped into my mind is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. It is very detailed and the writing/plot are wonderful.
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Originally Posted by fleetiebelle
Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End
Both of those jumped to mind.
You might like some of Philippa Gregory's books, even though you did say you were less interested in stories about kings and queens. Also, Allison Weir's books.
Maybe some Bernard Cornwell? Agincourt: A Novel... and The Burning Land
Right now I'm reading a great historical fiction book by Edward Rutherfurd, in which he follows several family lines over the course of about 1,000 years all in one geographic area. I've read several of his books that are like this, and I feel very drawn to the medieval portions of all the books.
I'm a little bit of a history geek, and I have a lot of interest in medieval/ middle ages history, mostly English but also continental European. I love historical fiction books that are well-researched and include real historical events and descriptive portrayals of everyday life in that period. So I wanted to find some good medieval fiction books.
But then I search on a few websites for medieval fiction, I keep getting books in my searches that are more in the "fantasy" genre.
I don't want Arthurian legends.
I don't want dragons. Ugh.
I don't want wizards or magic. Corny.
If there are any knights, I'm more interested in their everyday lives and relationships than their "heroic deeds," and please, I don't want play-by-play sword fighting.
I'm not even too thrilled about reading the stories kings and queens. If they're in the background of the story, that's fine. If there is war, it can be in the background, but I'm not big on play-by-play descriptions of warfare.
I'm not really willing to start reading a series, unless the writer is great, so single books (not in a series) would be best. If the book is big and fat, over 600 pages, great! If there are maps in the beginning that I can keep looking at, all the better! I'm looser on the time period: maybe any time after the fall of the Roman Empire until the 1400s. Even in times we now call "the Renaissance," ordinary people were still living very medieval lives.
I love historical fiction that gives minute detail about the foods people prepared and ate, the clothing they wore and how they made it, how their houses are built, how they used the technology of the time, how illness and healthcare were handled. Some people prefer an exciting story, and don't like the minute detail, but I love the detail. I want to close my eyes and SEE it, and imagine what it's like to be in their houses, wearing their clothes, eating their food.
Like I said above, I'm okay with some royalty in the story, in the background, but I'm much more interested in the serfs & farmers living in a feudal society, and "middle class" craftsmen and merchants, guild members, monks. People living in what were ordinary houses, doing common types of work, maybe living through the plague, maybe living under a "lord" or under the thumb of the church. All taking place against the backdrop of well known historical events.
Do any books like this exist? Please let me know if you know of any.
If you read a book and found the descriptive detail tedious, I might consider that a plus!
Thanks.
If you want minute details, I suggest Ken Follet's "Pillars of the Earth". It does have a sequel but can also be a stand alone. I haven't read it myself but everyone says it's extremely detailed. It does involve royalty but many of the main characters are commoners and fictional.
I also recommend Bernard Cornwell's "Agincourt". It's a stand alone book and while it does involve some royalty, the main character is a commoner.
If you're open to reading more about royalty and are willing to try a series, I recommend Helen Hollick's novels about the lead up to the Battle of Hastings (Forever Queen and I Am The Chosen King) AND her Pendranon's Banner Triology about the Arthurian Legend. I know you said you didn't want fantasy/King Arthur but Hollick's series is a VERY realistic take on the legend. No dragons, no Merlin, no wizards or magic. I do not consider it fantasy at all and that was the author's intent in writing the series.
Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End
Definitely Pillars Of The Earth. If you want to read about how those medieval Cathedrals were built and the everyday lives of small villages in England and the people who inhabited them, this is your book. It was one of my most memorable books.
I haven't read World Without End although it's on my TBR pile.
I have a long history with historical romances. I read a lot of them. But the medieval romances were forever ruined for me by one wonderful author. I could not read any others after I read Roberta Gellis' Roselynde Chronicles. Omg...they are excellent and Gellis having a masters in medieval literature assures realism on every page. They are not romances precisely, more like romantic historicals. I have all of her books, and at one point had a 2nd set of the Chronicles just for loaning out.
She's moved into fantasy the last 15-20 years, and while it's not bad, I prefer her older historicals. Also, the medieval mysteries starring Magdalene la a Bâtarde are good.
Ooh! I like Tracy Chevalier! (and not just because of her first name)
I loved Girl with a Pearl Earring, and I have another book of hers on my wish list about a Quaker girl.
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