**DISCLAIMER** Today’s conversation on historical fiction discusses The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Doyle. I love this book. You should go read it. But do so before reading this post. The things I say in this post, had I thought about them or known them before reading it the first time, may have changed my opinion of it. The magic would be gone. So please, read the book first!
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I seem to be on a bit of a trend in my reading- historical fiction set in WWII. In the last year I have probably read close to 10, or more, and other 5-6 on my book shelf. In fact right now I just started Suite Francaise.
I do not seem to be the only one reading this genre either. Even the generation who experienced the war first hand are inhaling this genre and setting. So what makes us attracted to this genre? I think it may be two fold. The first being that the setting itself makes it easier to develop a story of self discover and love. It has been done many times before –we know the story already. But at the same time with so many places and people and cultures that it is a different story every time.
But I think the most compelling reason we’re drinking it in is that it enables us to remember the past and still be distant; plus it allows us to relate a little to the wars our nations are currently in.
We understand the need to learn and know the past but we find it difficult to read the history books-it can be dull and political. But as humans we are social and compassionate and connect through relationships. As such, reading historical fiction set in WWII allows us to connect and we think we learn to understand, remember, learn and grow all while being entertained. It’s amazing this power of literature, isn’t it?
But does that mean historical fiction is the best way to learn about our past? Of course not. In fact, I would be inclined to lean towards the argument that historical fiction for those not also watching History TV, researching online, reading the history books or at least discussing the book's content is actually going to contribute to the ignorance around the subject. Why? Because you feel like you know what happened and you’re beginning to understand the time but that likely isn’t true. Our emotions are more powerful than our knowledge.
In historical fiction authors can take license to change facts to work with their story. Without research, or at least discussion, as a reader you do not know where that line is, it may be in dates, times, locations, or concept that has been changed to fit the story.
Lets look at an example, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Doyle. This is a short children’s novel but one of my favorite WWII fiction books. Why? Because it moved me in a way that books seldom do. It made me feel for the Jews but also for the innocence of German children too. It made me wonder what it would’ve been like to be a German child during WWII. The most moving moments connect me to the present and the last couple of pages will resonate with me for a long time.
Despite my love for this book, I know that it is reported to be quite historically incorrect. First, there is the constant misunderstanding of German words and terms by the little boy whom the author claims only speaks German, the fact that they killed children at concentration camps so Schmuel would never have lived, or the fact the real fence around Auschwitz was electrified making a key plot moment impossible. The inaccuracy of Doyle’s portrayal of the maturity of 8 & 12 year old children is actually quite bad and leads to a lot of the complaints about the book. These issues really only scratches the surface, but it does prove my point.
After reading this book I feel like I understood a little more about what Jewish people went through in Auschwitz and particularly Jewish children. This is absolutely not the case based on what I just said above. Until reading up on it I was still entirely ignorant to the facts. And had I not heard so many complaints after I had read it I never would have looked up the facts. I thought I understood thanks to this book, but in fact I did not.
While emotions are often more powerful than knowledge the best and most comprehensive understanding- the one that can break the ignorance- is a combination of compassion and knowledge. Feel like you understand but read the facts too so you really do understand.
Does this mean we’re better off without historical fiction- NO! It is good to feel compassion. That is useful in other ways. Historical fiction can also lead a person to the historical facts (as it did me in the case of Stripped Pajamas). It is an introduction and it is great entertainment. I would just argue that people need to remind themselves it is just fiction.
To end this already lengthy post here are some of my favorite WWII historical fiction:
1. Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Doyle
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society
3. The Postmistress
4. Suite francaise (likely, I’m only 20 pages in).
5. Atonement
6. The Great Escape
7. Sarah’s Key
Ones I haven’t read yet but suspect I will love:
8. Five Quarters of the of the Orange
9. The Kindly Ones
10. The Book Thief
11. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
12. The Reader
13. The Madonnas of Leningrad
14. A woman in Berlin
15. Those Who Save Us
16. Cutting for stone
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