4 Books For Historical Escapatisim

Dearest reader,

The beginning of the year is a fantastic time to start a new book, and, if you are a history enthusiast then one of these four historical novels might be just what you are looking to read next. By no means are the books listed here new releases, but they are, however, my personal most recently read historical novels. Hopefully one of them catches your eye!

Also, have look at the "Literature" category on my blog page for more book recommendations and reviews.

Victor Hugo

LES  MISÉRABLES

Les Misérables, a novel set in the early 19th century France, tells a story of a former slave Jean Valjean who spends his unfortunate life hiding from the police under a protection of various disguises while raising up an orphan girl. The book is composed of characters, mostly from poor members of French society, whose lifes entangle with Jean Valjean's. Whilts Les Misérables is a thrilling novel that deals with themes such as survival, love, poverty, unequality, forgiveness, faith, friendship, hardships of life, criminality, revolution, duty and bravery it also gives a stunning historical account on ordinary people's lifes as well as pictures historical events like the Battle of Waterloo.

My thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and how it was written. As you read on you cannot help but marvel how Jean Valjean's life unfolds. Les Misérables is a classic with a good reason.

L. M. Montgomery

ANNE  OF  GREEN  GABLES

The book "Anne of Green Gables" (first of the seven book series) is about Anne Shirley, a red headed orphan girl, who is accidentally adopted by the Cuthbert siblings, Marilla and Mathew, whose intetions were to get a boy to help Matthew with farm work at Green Gables where the Cuthberts live. However, after a river of tears and melodramatic behaviour on Anne's part Marilla and Matthew decide to keep Anne and raise her to be a "sensiable young woman". Althought, it is a task Marilla struggless to fullfil since Anne proves to have a wild imagination, sharp toung, bad temper as well as inconvenient tendency to get into trouble. Luckily, besides Anne's numerous falts her good side is ever the sweeter. Being a passionate person through and through with a taste for intense romance and daydreaming Anne ends up becoming a popular figure among the Avonlea youth and more mature folk. All in all, Anne's life transforms over night as she learns what a real home means.

My thoughts:

I have been longing to read "Anne of Green Gables" ever since I watched the Netflix series "Anne with an E" five years ago and I am glad to report that the book is as wonderful as the series. On the whole, "Anne of Green Gables" was so splendid a read that I caught myself smiling while devouring through the pages. To me this book was magic in form of a srumptious, splendid story that touches your heart with its amusing happenings, beauty of imagination and idyllic depictions of Canadian countryside.

Karen Blixen

OUT  OF  AFRICA

Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" is a real life story about Karen's life in Kenya where she had a coffee farm at the foot of Ngong Hills during the first part of the 20th century. There Karen experiences many happy but equally challenging years which she has recorded in these poetic memoirs discribing her way of life, Native people (particularly Kikuyus, Somalis and Masai), visitor to the farm, safaris, wild life and the changing seasons of Africa.

My thoughts:

"Out of Africa" was beautfilly written and truly let the reader to experience a forgotten, exciting lifestyle Karen led in Africa. Her detailed colorful depiction of life in the farm, people that passed through it and times she flew over the deserted wild lands and, in the end, the dismanteling of her life leaves you in wonder of the diversity of human fates.

Madeline Miller

CIRCE

Circe is a story dased in ancient Greek where sun God Helios' akward, bullied daughter Circe discovers she is a powerful witch but soon after the discovery she is send to exile on an island of Aiaia. Over hundreds of years Circe (a minor human voiced God herself) spends her time on the island learning her witchcraft in almost perfect solitude dispite lions and wolves who live there too. One day men from the sea come to Circe's island in a hope to seek shelter from her house. That is when, in a moment of desperation, Circe starts to fill her lawns with bigs until a great warrior king Odysseus arrives from The Troijan War and tumbles across Aiaia. One of the book's core themes deal with issues of mortality and immortality which are discoursed beatifully thourgh the story. Love, motherhood, rape, hatred, power and lust for glory are also touched upon making Circe an incrediably multifaceted and deeply touching story.

My thoughts:

Circe was absolutely one of the best books I have read in a while. It was so touching, heartbreaking yet hopeful in every aspect of the story and showed the world of Greek Gods in a different light. What is more, the ending was so powerful and I did cry like a baby, which isn't like me at all. I feel like my depiction does not do the book justice so you have to just trust my word and experience it yourself.

Have you read any of these books?

Which one you would like to read now?

Yours truly,

Siiri