“The End” in Historical Fiction of and about the Long Nineteenth Century
Elodie Rousselot defines “neo-historical fiction” as a subgenre of historical fiction that reimagines history by offering an “active interrogation of the past.”[i] Historical fiction, broadly speaking, allows readers to witness perspectives of the recognizable past while audiences interrogate the future. Most importantly, imagining the livelihood or end of various societal institutions has different stakes for different groups. Perspective is critical in historical fiction as exploring significant historical events also offers the opportunity to actively interrogate the future.