Mondays Book Talk - The Historian

Written by MikeH

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 

In 2012, I borrowed “The Historian” from a good friend of mine, who is an avid and critical reader. Having an interest in history and fiction thrillers, the title caught my attention immediately. I started reading the novel on a Sunday afternoon and despite its length, it took me only three weeks to complete it! Simply grasping!

The Historian is the 2005 debut novel of American author Elizabeth Kostova. This book has been described as a combination of genres: gothic, adventure, detective, travelogue, postmodern historical novel, or historical thriller. Kostova proposes a very interesting alternative story by blending the life of Vlad Tepes, prince of Wallachia in the 15th century, and his fictional equivalent "Dracula" from Bram Stoker, together with the story of Paul, a professor; his 16-year-old daughter; and their quest for Vlad's tomb. The novel ties together three separate narratives using letters and oral accounts: that of Paul's mentor in the 1930s, that of Paul in the 1950s, and that of the narrator herself in the 1970s. The tale is told primarily from the perspective of Paul's daughter, who is never named.

The style and all the research done by the author are worth mentioning. In Kostova's biography, she mentions that her father used to tell stories about Dracula when she was a child, and later in life she was inspired to turn the experience into a novel. She worked on the book for ten years, and of course, this is clearly reflected in the plot of the novel as it interweaves historical facts perfectly with places and fiction. 

Kostova has penned here the perfect armchair traveling book as she takes us on various adventures from the US to England, the Netherlands, Greece, France, Turkey, Romania, Hungary and France, all using different time frames. Having the ease of a master storyteller, Kostova knows exactly when it is time to move the plot forward and when to take it slow and share with the readers bits and pieces of all her research. After all, it’s called The Historian for a reason! 

Before concluding, I must say that the prose is beautiful; at times it is effective and straight to the point. Again, perfect balance equals perfect rhythm - equals a perfect story. Well, almost perfect... as there might be some inconsistencies or flaws through the chapters. After all, this is just a fiction thriller based on factual characters and episodes. 

If you are into large fiction, historical thrillers or travelogues or mystery novels, then don’t hesitate to pick up The Historian. Read it and see what you think. Personally, I believe this novel will not let you down! 

Image: Supplied by Author.