>She thought that provided sufficient care were taken to ensure that not only the facts but also the attitudes and assumptions displayed by characters were in accordance with what was known about the context, then a novel could be both fulfilling as literature, and historically illuminating.
As a reader (and sometime writer) of historical fiction, I think this is key. The further one is removed from the historical period the more difficult it can be to create characters that portray those attitudes and assumptions accurately (and, perhaps, the greater the temptation to import modern attitudes and assumptions), but when done well it is truly a delight to read.
>She thought that provided sufficient care were taken to ensure that not only the facts but also the attitudes and assumptions displayed by characters were in accordance with what was known about the context, then a novel could be both fulfilling as literature, and historically illuminating.
As a reader (and sometime writer) of historical fiction, I think this is key. The further one is removed from the historical period the more difficult it can be to create characters that portray those attitudes and assumptions accurately (and, perhaps, the greater the temptation to import modern attitudes and assumptions), but when done well it is truly a delight to read.