Historical fiction novels have the magical ability to transport you to another time and place. That is why we will be discussing the three historical fiction books that you must read once in your life. Keep reading to find out which books made our list!
This genre is filled with old classics and modern novels that readers can’t put down. Our list is going to highlight some of the best works in the field. And we know that three books are not enough but it should be a starting point for our readers. You can see the full list below!
Three Historical Fiction Books That You Must Read
War and Peace
War and Peace is considered Leo Tolstoy’s magnum opus and a classic. The novel takes place during the Napoleonic era in Russia and focuses on the French invasion of Russia and the aftermath. The story is told through the perspectives of five different Russian aristocratic families and discusses history as well as philosophy.
Gone with the Wind
A popular historical novel that Americans love is Gone with the Wind. The novel focuses on protagonist Scarlett O’Hara and takes place during and after the Civil War. Scarlet falls in love with Rhett Butler as the world around them changes. Margaret Mitchell tells the story of the changes in the South from a changing economy, politics, and ethics.
Beloved
A powerful novel that everyone should read is Beloved. It is a story of a former Kentucky slave that is haunted by her past life. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is considered one of the best works of fiction and there is no other novel like it.
Conclusion
That is all for this list of the three historical fiction books that you must read once in your life. Have you read any of these books? What other books should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below!
Not sure why Beloved makes so many lists. It was a horrible book. Badly written and too meta to make real sense. People just want to be thought of as intellectual so they pretend it was good and that they liked it. If they really did, I think they might need psychiatric assistance.
How can this list exclude Winds of War and War and Remembrance? Unquestionably 2 of the finest history novels ever written. Should be required reading for ALL high school students.
Certainly, these are greaz wirks. However, I bslieve Crime and Punishment should also make the list. It is one of the greatest, if not the greatest book ever written.
-Brian Felder
War and Peace without a doubt, but Gone with the Wind? Is that a joke? Regarding the Civil War why not Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels! And Beloved is not in the same league either, although I didn’t think it was as bad as the previous post. Certainly Crime and Punishment or The Brothers Karamazov, and what about les Français??
Germinal by Zola, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, and The Red and the Black by Stendhal.
I adore GWTW. I have not read the other books mentioned. I am certainly aware of War and Peace. Somerset Maugham says it is the greatest novel ever written. I will not dispute this claim. Unfortunately I have no opinion on the Morrison novel. A fantastic and unusual read for me was Irwin Shaw’s The Young Lions. Wonderfully written,
literate AND entertaining. – DD
I have read two of the books on this list and I enjoyed Gone with the Wind the most. Beloved was too strange to me even though I have read it twice.
War and Peace is the next one on my list along with Anna Kareina.
I would recommend reading “Jubilee” by Margaret Walker immediately after reading “Gone With The Wind” for a different perspective on the same historical period.
So happy to find this website and be able to go forward with my reading
Gone wind the wind is one of the most racist piece trash that exist. Shame on you for promoting this garbage
Gone with the Wind romanticizes the ‘lost cause’ which was billed as glorious undertaking to preserve a way of life. That way of life depended on the enslavement of black people..nothing less. The book is an awful piece of propaganda.