The Woman's Historical Novel : British Women Writers, 1900-2000

The historical novel has been one of the most important forms of women's reading and writing in the twentieth century, yet it has been consistently under-rated and critically neglected. In the first major study of British women writers' use of the genre, Diana Wallace tracks its development across the century. She combines a comprehensive survey with detailed readings of key writers, including Naomi Mitchison, Georgette Heyer, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Margaret Irwin, Jean Plaidy, Mary Renault, Philippa Gregory and Pat Barker. The Historical Novel Has Been One Of The Most Important Forms Of Women's Reading And Writing In The Twentieth Century, Yet It Has Been Under-rated And Critically Neglected. In The First Major Study Of British Women Writers' Use Of The Genre, Diana Wallace Traces Its Development Across The Century. In Its Popular Forms, The Historical Novel Has Always Offered Women Particular Pleasures, Including The Thrills Of Transgression And Of 'masquerading' As Men. Wallace Shows How The Historical Novel Has Also Offered Women A Way Of Re-imagining Conventional History To Encompass Women's Experience, As Well As A Form Within Which They Could Address The Most Urgent Political And Social Issues Of Their Day. The Book Combines A Comprehensive Survey With Detailed Readings Of Key Writers, Including Georgette Heyer, Naomi Mitchison, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Daphne Du Maurier, Margaret Irwin, Mary Renault, 'jean Plaidy', Dorothy Dunnett, Catherine Cookson, Mary Stewart, Phillipa Gregory, A.s. Byatt And Pat Barker. Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Entering Into History: The Woman Citizen And The Historical Novel, 1900-1929 -- Histories Of The Defeated: Writers Taking Side In The 1930s -- Writing The War And After: Wicked Ladies And Wayward Women In The 1940s -- Hollow Men And Homosexual Heroes: Exploring Masculinity In The 1950s -- The Return Of The Repressed: Maternal Histories In The 1960s -- Selling Women's History: Popular Historical Fiction In The 1970s -- 'herstory' To Postmodern Histories: History As Dissent In The 1980s -- Dialogues With The Dead: History And The Sense Of An Ending, 1990-2000 -- Postscript -- Bibliography -- Index. Diana Wallace. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 237-255) And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction....Pages 1-24 Entering into History: The Woman Citizen and the Historical Novel, 1900–1929....Pages 25-52 Histories of the Defeated: Writers Taking Sides in the 1930s....Pages 53-77 Writing the War and After: Wicked Ladies and Wayward Women in the 1940s....Pages 78-100 Hollow Men and Homosexual Heroes: Exploring Masculinity in the 1950s....Pages 101-124 The Return of the Repressed: Maternal Histories in the 1960s....Pages 125-149 Selling Women’s History: Popular Historical Fiction in the 1970s....Pages 150-175 ‘Herstory’ to Postmodern Histories: History as Dissent in the 1980s....Pages 176-201 Dialogues with the Dead: History and the ‘Sense of an Ending’, 1990–2000....Pages 202-226 Postscript....Pages 227-228 Back Matter....Pages 229-269 "In this, the first major study of British women writers' appropriation and re-visioning of this central literary genre, Diana Wallace explores the development of a female version of the historical novel, revealing it to be one of the most important forms of women's reading and writing in the twentieth century. This study combines a comprehensive survey with detailed readings of key writers, including Georgette Heyer, Naomi Mitchison, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Daphne du Maurier, Margaret Irwin, Mary Renault, 'Jean Plaidy', Dorothy Dunnett, Catherine Cookson, Mary Stewart, Philippa Gregory, A.S. Byatt and Pat Barker."--Jacket Diana Wallace tracks the development of British women writer's use of the historical novel genre through the 20th century, combining her survey with key readings from writers including Naomi Mitchison, Mary Renault, Jean Plaidy, Pat Barker, Georgette Heyer & Philippa Gregory