5 Timeless Historical Fiction Books to Read After the ‘Odyssey’

Homer's epic poems the Iliad and Odyssey have captivated readers for centuries, blending history and myth so well that, at times, it's difficult to know how much of Homer's account of the Trojan War is fact. The characters feel so vibrant and alive that readers feel like they are right there, in the action, with Achilles and Odysseus.The best historical fiction books draw you in and let you live moments in history. You empathize with the characters, and you see the past as more than just a brief lecture from a teacher. If you're looking for books like the Odyssey that paint vivid pictures of history, these five novels should be next on your reading list.A Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensLes Misérables by Victor HugoWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyThings Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeBeloved by Toni MorrisonCharles Dickens's 'A tale of two cities' :Title page - | Culture Club/GettyImagesA Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," is one of the most famous lines in all of literature, and is the introduction to Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The book delves into the French Revolution and the events leading up to it, from both English and French points of view. The English feared the bloody upheaval in Paris would cross the Channel to their shores, and Dickens successfully captured that fear in the story of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. The book was originally published in 1859, 60 years after the French Revolution, but is still considered one of the most poignant works of historical fiction about that time.Cover of book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1862) | Apic/GettyImagesLes Misérables by Victor HugoOften confused with the French Revolution, Les Misérables actually takes place a couple of decades after the Reign of Terror. It actually covers the Restoration period after Napoleon was defeated and the monarchy was re-established. Victor Hugo poetically described the utter desperation so many of the French poor faced during this time, with echoes of the French Revolution calling to some to rise up once again.Hugo was incredibly meticulous when it came to historical accuracy, giving the most precise and mundane details. It was through his characters, however, that Les Misérables became a masterpiece. Readers come to know the intense struggles of morality through the life of Jean Valjean, and they learn of how, even after a revolution, there is still a long way to go for justice to reign.City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco | Robert Alexander/GettyImagesWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy's War and Peace is one of the longest books ever written because it combines the historical fiction with psychological and philosophical essays. Tolstoy used the backdrop of the Russian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars not only to tell a deeply moving story but to share his thoughts about life, society, and the world.Tolstoy was inspired by Victor Hugo's Les Misérables and wrote War and Peace with as much historical accuracy as possible. He also wanted his characters to come to life the way Hugo's did, so every thought or reflection on the human condition by Pierre, Prince Andrei, Natasha, and others was poured onto the pages. NIGERIA-EDUCATION-CHILDREN-LIBRARY-SCHOOL | STEFAN HEUNIS/GettyImagesThings Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeChinua Achebe was a Nigerian author who worked to unravel the stereotypes of African people. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, is set in 1890 Nigeria as the land and people are colonized by the British. Where most literature on colonialism continued racist tropes about "primitive" tribes, Achebe humanized the Igbo people through Okonkwo's story.Things Fall Apart has become one of the pivotal works of post-colonial literature, and it gives perspective to parts of history that have long been silenced. It truly makes the reader sit with the heavy emotions Okonkwo feels, adding even more depth to the tragedy.Claire Messud | The Washington Post/GettyImagesBeloved by Toni MorrisonBeloved is considered to be one of the best novels written in modern history. Toni Morrison captures the physical and psychological horrors of slavery by basing her main character, Sethe, on the life of Margaret Garner. Garner was a slave who, when recaptured after trying to escape, killed her daughter so she would not have to suffer from slavery.Morrison's Beloved does not flinch away from the brutal truths of chattel slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act. The free slaves are still haunted eighteen years after fleeing their master, but Sethe more than most. In her broken state, killing her child was an act of love, but the repercussions of such a choice still disrupt the life of freedom her family hoped for.More About Books: