Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
This is a benchmark for historical novels. Anya Seton was an American author and she spent four years in Britain researching this novel. Given the sources available to her at the time, it’s brilliant. To me, it evokes that medieval period, which I have long studied as a historian.
What about Katherine by Anya Seton, which is based on the life of Katherine Swynford? [1350-1403 – her illegitimate son with John of Gaunt was great-great-grandfather to Henry VIII.]
This is one of my all-time favourite historical novels; it’s absolutely inspirational. Every sentence is a joy. It was written in 1954 and is, of course, of its time – bodice rippers came later. But it’s written with such integrity, and I see it as a benchmark for historical novels. Anya Seton was an American author and she spent four years in Britain researching this novel. Given the sources available to her at the time, it’s brilliant. It has inspired so many people. In 2003 the BBC did a poll, ‘The Big Read’, of all-time favourite books, and Katherine came in the top 100. It’s never been out of print.
And by ‘sets a benchmark’, you mean she really did the research, so it’s accurate as well as gripping?
It’s not accurate by modern standards, but it’s so well done that it convinces. The second half of it is largely fiction. The earlier part is based closely based on historical sources, but where there are gaps in Katherine Swynford’s life, Seton fills them credibly. To me, it evokes that medieval period, which I have long studied as a historian.
When you say ‘by modern standards’, what do you mean? Has the bar been set higher in terms of historical accuracy?
I mean it is not accurate compared to what we know about Katherine Swynford today. There has been a lot of research on her since 1954. No, today, I’m afraid, the bar has gone way down. That’s why you have so many dumbed-down historical novels. There are one or two honourable exceptions, but not many.
Was it because of Anya Seton’s book that people were inspired to do research about Katherine Swynford, so that, as a result, we know a lot more about her?
Possibly, but not only that. It’s an absolutely inspirational book to read, one of those people love to go back to. I do go to a lot of events, and when my biography was in preparation my audiences would ask me, ‘What are you doing next?’ And I would say, ‘I am writing a book about Katherine Swynford,’ and you’d hear a frisson in the audience, and afterwards people would come up and they’d all say, ‘I read Katherine.’
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Alison Weir is a British author and historian. She has written numerous popular history books, including, most recently, Captive Queen, about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and The Lady in the Tower, about the last days of Anne Boleyn.
