--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean, every novel's a historical novel…" description: "\"I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But calling something a historical novel seems to put mittens on it, right? It puts manners on it. And..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/colum-mccann-902_anyway_i-mean-every-novel-s-a-historical-novel_1448895.png" --- # I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But… ![“I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But calling something a historical novel seems to put mittens on it, right? It puts manners on it. And you don't want your novels to be mannered.” quote by Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/colum-mccann-902_anyway_i-mean-every-novel-s-a-historical-novel_1448895.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/colum-mccann-902_anyway_i-mean-every-novel-s-a-historical-novel_1448895.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/colum-mccann-902_anyway_i-mean-every-novel-s-a-historical-novel_1448895.png) > “I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But calling something a historical novel seems to put mittens on it, right? It puts manners on it. And you don't want your novels to be mannered.” [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Novels inevitably reflect history, but labeling them as “historical” can constrain their artistic freedom. **In simple terms:** History shapes stories, but labels limit them. Key Takeaway Avoid restrictive genre tags. Themes literature genre creativity Mood reflective critical Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - publishing - creative writing - marketing - reader expectations - author branding Key Concepts historical fiction artistic freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does genre labeling affect a reader’s expectations? - Can a novel be both historically grounded and artistically free? A Different Perspective Labels may alienate readers seeking broader themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) ## Related quotes > [In 1965, when I was fourteen, I read my first adult novel; it was a historical novel about Katherine of Aragon, and I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-weir/in-1965-when-i-was-fourteen-i-read-my-first-adult-novel-it-was-a/) [Alison Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-weir/) > [The novel since its origins has been the privatization of history... the history of private life ... and in that sense every novel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-emilio-pacheco/the-novel-since-its-origins-has-been-the-privatization-of-history-the/) [Jose Emilio Pacheco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-emilio-pacheco/) > [A novel is not, after all, a historical document, but a way to travel through the human heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-alvarez/a-novel-is-not-after-all-a-historical-document-but-a-way-to-travel/) [Julia Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-alvarez/) > [I enjoy thinking myself into other times and places. 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In those days, historical novels meant ladies with swelling bosoms on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/my-first-book-was-a-historical-novel-i-started-writing-in-1974-in/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Today, we are fortunate that the historical novel has reached such extraordinary heights of technical mastery. The ability of society to connect with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-foreman/today-we-are-fortunate-that-the-historical-novel-has-reached-such/) [Amanda Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-foreman/) > [I really hate the term 'historical novel' - it reminds me of bodice-rippers. 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