Burning Bright

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At book club last night we discussed Tracy Chevalier's ‘Burning Bright’. It's a historical novel about William Blake, described by Brittanica as an English engraver, artist, poet and visionary. He’s most well-known for his poem, ‘Tyger, tyger burning bright’ hence the novel’s title. The story is set in late 18th-century London, bristling with ripple effects from the French Revolution. Like all Chevalier's novels it's well-written, superbly researched and peopled with well-rounded, interesting characters. One book club member said it exceeded their expectations because they don't much like history. And another commented that it was much less historical than anticipated.

As I’m about to publish a historical novel, this gave me pause for thought and reminded me of a comment David made recently. Until he proofread ‘The Twelfth Cross,’ his assumption was that historical fiction was the written equivalent of a TV history docu-drama.

The genre is broad and there are many different styles and approaches but to me, a historical fiction novel is a story set in a historical context, amidst real historical events. For my book, those real historical events surround the death of Edward I’s wife, Eleanor of Castile, and the origin of the Eleanor Crosses. For ‘Burning Bright,’ it was a turbulent period in the London life of William Blake, seen largely through the eyes of his young neighbours, newly arrived in London from Dorset. As always, Tracy Chevalier proves herself a master of weaving fact and fiction in a fascinating tale full of suspense and wonderful storytelling. She burns brightly among historical novelists.