Weird & Strange HF That Doesn't Involve Time Travel

Was remembering some great historical fiction I've read when out of the blue a title of a book came to mind that after I finished it, I realized it reminded me of a cross between Canterbury Tales and The Decameron. The novel is Company of Liars by Karen Maitland. Nine non-pilgrims try to outrun the Black Death while protecting their secrets in 14th C. England. Strange. . .very strange, especially the white-blonde character. Never did figure that one out.

Have you read it? I couldn’t tell what this book wanted to be – historical fiction or horror/fantasy. Another book hard to classify for the same reason is Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I confess it was too strange for me and I was unable to finish it since I couldn't make sense of what I was reading. Did you have a better experience with it?

There are many more historical fiction books that I consider near weird, even without the benefit of time travel. But I'd rather hear from you what you consider legitimately weird. I'll give you an example of one of the very best novels I've ever read as the ne plus ultra in this class and most other classes, too. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. It left me breathless with admiration.

To quote a famous president, "Please proceed."

I managed to finish Jonathan Strange Mr Norrell, but it was a struggle. The scenes set in faerie were difficult to follow, while I quite enjoyed the politicking around the Peninsular War.

Another book that left me baffled was Quincunx of which I have only vague memories. I was stupid enough to put it in the recycling bin, I've been thinking about revisiting it.

Taking note of The Luminaries!

David Mitchell's done a few that could be categorized as weird historical fiction.

Umberto Eco can get pretty strange, especially in Baudolino.

Guy Gavriel Kay is arguably writing historical fiction, but passed through a fantasy-fiction filter where the names are all changed and events mythologized, as in Sailing to Sarantium (read: Byzantium) and Under Heaven (read: Tang Dynasty).

>2 MissWatson:

Congratulations of having a stronger constitution than I with "Strange Norrell." I just put it aside as unfathomable.

We're twins separated at birth! I feel the same way about Quincunx! We should make a pact to re-read it at the same time and help each other through it. heh heh

About Catton's book -- I suggest reading discussions and analyses before you start, unless you're like me and love the heavy lifting of intellectual puzzles. This book is like a "cracked" Russian nested doll. All kinds of quirks and weirdness. Enjoy!

>3 Cecrow:

Loved, loved, loved Baudolino. After "Rose," my favorite by Eco. Will have to research Guy Kay novels. They sound like I'd like them!

But speaking of Eco, his last novel published just before he died was not one I wished for. However, it does fit into the discussion of weird/strange HF. Anyone besides me read Numero Zero?

On second thought, nearly all of Eco's historical novels were weird and strange. I couldn't finish Prague Cemetery, but put it down to being uninterested in novels that seemed centered on Zionist conspiracy stuff. It's been so long since I read Foucault's Pendulum that I flatter myself into believing it was straightforward, more in the manner of "Rose." An enigmatic novelist was Umberto Eco.

Think I should add "weird" as a modifier to my historical fiction tag. I have another book, The Sibyl (wrong Touchstone) by Pär Lagerkvist. It's a religio/philosophical fable about The (biblical) Wandering Jew who meets an old woman who, when younger, was once the (pagan mythology) High Priestess of Apollo who is the voice of the Delphi oracle. It's a very short book that requires some study and interpretation to fully comprehend.

I loved, loved, loved Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell...but I classify it as historical fantasy rather than historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this recent release and have been waiting for someone else besides myself to have a copy on LT: The Little Animals pairs Antonie van Leeuwenhoek with a mysterious goose girl who can hear the thoughts of animals...including microbes. I expected this to be a bit more fantasy, given the summary and the blurb from Ursula K. Le Guin, but it's really mostly historical fiction with a tiny bit of weird.

>8 rarm:

Does sound like a fairy tale fractured by lessons in microscopic biology. Who's the intended audience? Author? Published when?

>9 Limelite: By Sarah Tolmie, aimed at adults, published 2019.

10>

Maybe it's very recent pub. date (is the book in general release yet?) and an author relatively unknown by LT posters (judging by posting data) explains why you're the only copy holder of The Little Animals. If you write an enthusiastic review and talk it up in other threads, you might spur some interest in Tolmie's book.

Happy reading!