French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Historical Novel
Novel and Narrative Prose
Published on January 20, 2006
Gérard Gengembre
The Historical Novel
Series: "50 Questions", no. 27
Approx. 160 pages
Retail price: 12
ISBN: 2-252-03558-7
About the Book:
Understanding the evolution of the historical novel, placing it within the broader history of fiction, establishing its specificity, determining its components, exploring its main themes, outlining its stakes, evaluating its place in the literary field, and touching upon related genres—in short, describing, defining, and interpreting: these are the core concerns addressed in this work.
Drawing on major syntheses and existing theories, focusing on key authors such as Balzac, Stendhal, and Dumas, concentrating primarily on French literature while acknowledging the rich output of other major linguistic areas, and emphasizing particularly illuminating examples—such as the Napoleonic theme or Victor Hugo's *The Hunchback of Notre-Dame*—this book aims to pose questions sharply and answer them clearly. Eschewing jargon while remaining closely attuned to literary and cultural developments, it offers the original perspective of combining a literary history overview with an essay on the relevance and appeal of one of literature's most enduring, and perhaps currently most flourishing, genres.
It is intended for anyone seeking precise information and food for thought.
About the Author:
Gérard Gengembre is a professor of 19th-century French literature at the University of Caen. His publications include *La Contre-Révolution ou l'Histoire désespérante* (Imago, 1989), *Balzac, le Napoléon des lettres* (Découvertes Gallimard, 1992), and *Le Théâtre français du XIXe siècle* (Armand Colin, 1999).
50 Questions
Foreword
1. Novel and history: could it be a tautology?
The Story of an Upstart
2. Since when has history existed?
3. Since when has the novel dealt with history?
4. From this historical perspective, how should the character in a novel be defined?
5. How has the novel evolved?
6. When was the historical novel born in France?
7. Is it therefore legitimate to speak of the historical novel in France before the 19th century?
8. What is the contribution of Romanticism?
9. What role does the "mal du siècle" (sickness of the century) play?
10. Can romantic drama and the historical novel be compared?
11. How does the conception of history change during this period?
12. What is the vision of romantic historians?
13. In this context, what is the ambition of the modern French novel?
14. What is the most representative form of the modern novel?
15. Who played the decisive role in the birth of the 19th-century historical novel?
16. What relationships would the historical novel then establish between past and present?
From Yesterday to Today
17. What panorama of the 19th-century historical novel can be drawn?
18. What are the first major works?
19. How does Balzac understand the historical novel?
20. What is Stendhal's approach?
21. What place should be given to Alexandre Dumas?
22. How does Hugo conceive of the historical novel?
23. Has the ambition of the novel changed following the vogue of the historical genre?
24. Is Flaubert then at the antipodes of the historical novel?
25. Did this Flaubertian mutation doom the historical novel?
26. Is it therefore feasible to compare the naturalist novel with the historical novel?
27. Where does the historical novel stand today?
A Problematic Definition
28. Can the historical novel be defined?
29. What did Maigron say in 1898?
30. How will the 20th century understand the historical novel?
31. How is the historical novel structured technically?
32. Memoirs, chronicle, historical narrative, novel: where is the difference?
33. Are the *Bildungsroman* and the historical novel comparable?
34. Is romanticized history a historical novel?
35. Does this definition hold outside the French domain?
36. Does a generic family of the historical novel exist?
37. What relationships should be established between the serialized novel and the historical novel?
38. And with the swashbuckler novel?
39. What about the historical adventure novel?
40. Does the war novel fall under the historical novel?
41. Is there such a thing as a historical detective novel?
42. Does the same apply to speculative fiction and science fiction?
43. What is uchronia (alternate history)?
44. Is youth literature neglected?
45. The contentious question: is the historical novel today merely mass-market literature?
46. Can a standard reading list be established?
47. Is there a subject capable of bringing together most elements of the historical novel?
48. What is the scope of the Napoleonic historical novel?
Epilogue
49. How does our era exploit the historical novel?
50. What then is the future of the historical novel?
The historical novel occupies a significant place in the development of Western fiction, often serving as a bridge between factual record and imaginative narrative. By engaging with the past, authors negotiate the tension between historical accuracy and the creative requirements of storytelling. Readers interested in the intersection of historiography and narrative craft may find this examination of the genre's development and its enduring appeal to be a relevant study.
Gengembre situates the genre within the broader literary field by analyzing the contributions of major figures such as Balzac, Stendhal, and Dumas. The text addresses the technical structures of the form, distinguishing it from related categories like the Bildungsroman, memoirs, and various subgenres including the adventure and war novel. By exploring the Napoleonic theme and works like The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the study considers the historical novel's shifting status, from its romantic origins to contemporary debates regarding its place in modern literature.