History 108 - Historical Fiction

This course introduces students to fictional novels that are based on their authors’ deep reading of the historical literature and/or archival documents. We will also read works by historians that are designed to flow like fiction. Together we will figure out what separates a work of historical fiction from a history book. And we will analyze the strategies that some historians have employed to capture aspects of fiction without sacrificing analytical rigor or historical argument. What are the trade-offs and benefits of these various ways of telling stories? Can fictionalized narratives convey forms of truth that might be hard to capture through traditional historical accounts? Should fictionalized accounts be considered replacements for traditional accounts or merely supplements?  Books we read might include works such as Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth; Min Jin Lee, Pachinko; Carlos Fuentes, The Campaign; Elizabeth Gilbert, The Signature of All Things; Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian; John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive; Dave Eggers, What is the What; Jonathan Spence, The Question of Hu; and Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits. Students will be expected to be active participants in class discussion, maintain a response journal, and complete a final written/oral project.

Fall semester. Professor Rick López.

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on group work and discussion