Historical Novels

[poliphilo]

How long ago does a novel have to be set for it to qualify as an historical novel?

I reckon the events it deals with need to be outside living memory (at the time of writing).

Thus a contemporary novel set in the trenches of WWI would be an historical novel and one set on the beaches of Dunkirk wouldn't.

I'm reading Stevenson's Weir of Hermiston,  He was writing it in the 1890s and it's set around the time of Waterloo. That's a gap of about 80 years- which puts it on the cusp. Is it an historical novel ? I can't decide. 

Comments

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

See, I'd argue that, for instance, the movie MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS is historical fiction, and that takes place between 1937 and 1944. Poking around at various websites, I find some people whose classification agrees with that -- not everybody, but it appears to be within the universe of reasonable opinions.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's "within the universe of reasonable opinions". (Love that phrase!) I don't agree with it, but I give it respect. :)