Historical Fiction and Hilary Mantel

Abstract

The novel has been a great form of literature and was officially brought into existence and development during the 18th century. Unlike other forms of literature (Drama, and Poetry), the novel has sustained a long time and grew drastically by bringing in several other disciplines into it. The major factors which led to the rise of the novel include the decline of Drama, the rise of middle-class people, leisure among women, modern libraries, and also the industrial revolution. In regard to the development of novels, there has been an emergence of types depending upon the creation, setting, story, and also narration. One among them is the “Historical Novel” which is recognised to be one of the major types of the novel, where the history along with its characters has become alive and revaluated in the present perspectives. “Historical fiction is a literary genre where the story takes place in the past. Historical novels capture the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions. Many novels in this genre tell fictional stories that involve actual historical figures or historical events.”(masterclass.com). As the definition suggests, historical fiction mostly has the characters and the period from the history, and the story is made by the novelist in reference to the history and brought to us in a novel and unseen perspective. In this present article, we focus on the origin and rise of the historical novel and how the British author, Hillary Mantel has used the form widely in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy.