Positively Ellinwood Street

Friday, April 8, 2011

The Magic of History

Each time we open a book, the written word offers us an escape into a previously undiscovered reality--a mystery may plunge us into a world of deceit and intrigue, all the while testing our intuition, and vigilance; a good science fiction story might test the limits of our imaginations by creating a whole new world around us with a reality which calls into question even our most fundamental assumptions, while a historical fiction is another breed entirely.

What is it about historical fiction which so captivates our imaginations? The romance of a bygone era, the scrupulous social axioms by which both love and war were meant to abide, or perhaps the inherent contradiction therein?

Perhaps the allure of the past is our propensity to single out the great figures of lost times--when one has the expanse of history from which to draw inspiration for a great character, and a great story, the potential for excellence is only as limited as the history of the human race.

Of course, it can't be called easy to call up the specters of the past, all the while giving them modern relevance and depth. As Oscar Wilde said, "any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it."

Here are some geniuses you might enjoy:

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Emma Orczy

The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory

The Paris Wife, Paula McLain

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Happy New Year!

Many people associate New Year celebrations with champagne, Auld Lang Syne, freezing weather, and blowing noisemakers. For me, the new year kicks off with dollar dogs, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and high-fiving random fellow fans after a home run. The weather? Yes, chilly weather is still an unfortunate factor of April baseball in Chicago). Major League Baseball's Opening Day is a great time to reset: the young season is fresh with unique and surprising possibilities yet to be written. However, if you are in the market for a baseball storyline that has already been written, and you'd like to go beyond The Natural and Shoeless Joe (adapted into the film Field of Dreams), we have them here at the library in our fiction stacks.

The Curse: Cubs Win! Cubs Win! or Do They? by Andy Van Slyke and Rob Rains
Penned by a former major leaguer, this novel has Cubs the in first place around the All-Star break, but even the pursuit of their first pennant since 1945 takes a seat on the bench compared to the swirling mysteries of the owner's shadowy past.

Oh Johnny by Jim Lehrer
A young baseball phenom enlists in the Marines in 1944 and falls in love with a girl en route to deployment. After the war, he pursues both his baseball career and his lost love but encounters results much different than what he expected.

Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi
The title character is an autistic teenager with a "plus, plus" fastball who is recruited by the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Arthur Murphy. While Mickey becomes a star in the major leagues despite adversity from his abusive father and jealous teammates, Murphy embarks on a quest to win the pennant while wooing Mickey's mother.

Season of Gene by Dallas Hudgens
Joe Rice is an owner of a car-detailing service and player/manager of the company's baseball team. When his best friend and business partner, Gene, has a fatal heart attack while sliding into home during on of their games, members of the mob appear looking for a vintage 1932 bat used by Babe Ruth worth $3 million. Joe promptly decides the payoff of locating the bat is worth fighting gangsters and facing down his own past.

In a closing note: just think, a year ago the Cubs still hadn't won a World Series since 1908. Of course, nothing has changed this year, but it was still nice to say. It's got to happen someday, doesn't it? Until then, happy reading!