Definitely knowing when a book set in the past was written makes a lot of difference. There are books from the 1910s that I love which would make me fairly angry if they were published today, and a historical novel that doesn't look past its setting is kind of pointless, if not impossible. Reading so much fiction from earlier eras mainly affects my reading of historical novels and AUs in that tone is something I judge for historical accuracy. But that's still only one element--something I notice, rather than something that will make me put a book down. Most of the historical novels I read are mysteries, and a lot of them really stand out as having been written in the '90s, but I weigh that against the awesome characters and clever plots and love them anyway. I even find it sort of endearing.
I've seen a few of Sirk's films, but not the Haynes one, and I never thought of them of them as being coded in that way. That's really interesting.
I read about half of Tipping the Velvet once, but I was reading it in a bookstore, or maybe at someone's house, and didn't get to read the rest. I recall liking it a lot. One historical novel I absolutely love is Dinesen's The Angelic Avengers, which was written in the '40s and set about a century earlier. It deals with white slavery, the sexual harassment of female employees, etc. while operating very much in a 19th century gothic mode.
On the subject of romance and agency: of course overcoming one character's resistance to romance is a hugely common trope. I just felt that in that particular situation, avoiding romance was a more-than-usually-valid choice.
You've made me think a lot, too! I really look forward to seeing what you end up posting.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-07-10 05:53 pm (UTC)I've seen a few of Sirk's films, but not the Haynes one, and I never thought of them of them as being coded in that way. That's really interesting.
I read about half of Tipping the Velvet once, but I was reading it in a bookstore, or maybe at someone's house, and didn't get to read the rest. I recall liking it a lot. One historical novel I absolutely love is Dinesen's The Angelic Avengers, which was written in the '40s and set about a century earlier. It deals with white slavery, the sexual harassment of female employees, etc. while operating very much in a 19th century gothic mode.
On the subject of romance and agency: of course overcoming one character's resistance to romance is a hugely common trope. I just felt that in that particular situation, avoiding romance was a more-than-usually-valid choice.
You've made me think a lot, too! I really look forward to seeing what you end up posting.