Elements in Lit 201: Rank and File

If you’re anything like me, when reading historicals, there’s always a time when I have to run off to my reference books to check out one detail or other for historic truth. There’s another thing I’ve noticed when reading these types of romance novels, and it needs constant clarification (at least for me): What the heck do all these ranks mean? You read about the roguish Baron, the wicked Marquess, the daring Lord, but authors tend to insert snippets about how these characters are ranked in relation to others. ‘He shouldn’t be saying that to so and so, he’s of a higher rank’ kind of deal.

I thought it would be neat to take a look at how the British nobility are ranked and what it all means (I chose British because of the frequency of the Regency Romance, etc. and its ties to Britain. Other countries may be …

Elements in Lit 201: Historic Time Periods

Welcome back class! With our Genres lessons having waned somewhat, I thought it was time to take a new approach in our bookish higher learning. So, today I introduce the new batch of lectures, looking at different elements in the books we read, from themes and literary terms to who knows what?

I thought we’d start by taking a look at the different times that appear in historical novels. These will be mostly featuring stories set in England for the moment, but as you’ll soon find out, time is truly relative to the places and subjects in the books. Grab your pencils and let’s get back to school!:

The most commonly heard time frame in historical romances is the Regency Romance. These novels are set during the British Regency and take place within the years 1811-1820. In England, this was a time when the king (George III) was deemed unable to …