--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first book was a historical novel. I…" description: "\"My first book was a historical novel. I started writing in 1974. In those days, historical novels meant ladies with swelling bosoms on the cover. Basic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/hilary-mantel-440_book_my-first-book-was-a-historical-novel-i-s_416867.jpg" --- # My first book was a historical novel. I started writing in… ![“My first book was a historical novel. I started writing in 1974. In those days, historical novels meant ladies with swelling bosoms on the cover. Basically, it meant historical romance. It was not respectable as a genre.” quote by Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/hilary-mantel-440_book_my-first-book-was-a-historical-novel-i-s_416867.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/hilary-mantel-440_book_my-first-book-was-a-historical-novel-i-s_416867.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ef/hilary-mantel-440_book_my-first-book-was-a-historical-novel-i-s_416867.jpg) > “My first book was a historical novel. I started writing in 1974. In those days, historical novels meant ladies with swelling bosoms on the cover. Basically, it meant historical romance. It was not respectable as a genre.” [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical romance was once dismissed as lowbrow, but the genre can convey deep human stories despite stereotypes. **In simple terms:** Historical romance faced stigma but can tell meaningful stories. Key Takeaway Don’t judge a genre solely by its cover. Themes genre bias historical fiction romance literary value stereotypes Mood thoughtful analytical Type reflection genre discussion When to use this quote - book marketing - genre classification - author branding Key Concepts genre evolution authorial voice publishing trends Questions to Reflect On - Can a genre’s reputation change over time? - How do authors navigate genre expectations? A Different Perspective Stigma can affect a writer’s confidence and market opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Historical novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-novels/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [It was like a page torn from a history book, from some historical novel about the captivity of babylon or Spanish Inquisition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/it-was-like-a-page-torn-from-a-history-book-from-some-historical/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I can see myself wanting to write a historical novel - you don't need to worry about references to reality TV or pop music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-can-see-myself-wanting-to-write-a-historical-novel-you-don-t-need/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [If you write a book set in the past about something that happened east of the Mississippi, it's a 'historical novel.' If you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/if-you-write-a-book-set-in-the-past-about-something-that-happened/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [I have rarely read a more wonderful book than To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander. Rich with historical detail and fully developed characters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-coble/i-have-rarely-read-a-more-wonderful-book-than-to-win-her-favor-by/) [Colleen Coble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-coble/) > [The historical novel gives us perspective on our modern lives and helps us connect with the story, which we are continuing ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pope-osborne/the-historical-novel-gives-us-perspective-on-our-modern-lives-and/) [Mary Pope Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pope-osborne/) > [When you read a history or biography you are entitled to imagine that it is as accurate as the authors can make it. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-meyer/when-you-read-a-history-or-biography-you-are-entitled-to-imagine-that/) [Nicholas Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-meyer/) > [I'm not entirely sure what a historical novel absolutely has to be, but you don't want a reader who loves a very traditional historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-dutton/i-m-not-entirely-sure-what-a-historical-novel-absolutely-has-to-be/) [Danielle Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-dutton/) > [One of the questions I face when working on a book about a historical event is whether I should visit the actual place that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-philbrick/one-of-the-questions-i-face-when-working-on-a-book-about-a-historical/) [Nathaniel Philbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-philbrick/) > [You think you're writing one historical novel and it turns into three, and I'm quite used to a short story turning into a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/you-think-you-re-writing-one-historical-novel-and-it-turns-into-three/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“A gripping historical novel . . . heart-stopping, heart-racing and eventually heart-easing.–Library Voice”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lovejoy/a-gripping-historical-novel-heart-stopping-heart-racing-and/) [Sharon Lovejoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lovejoy/) > [For me, writing a historical novel was really hard. I love history as a subject and majored in it in college. I think, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/for-me-writing-a-historical-novel-was-really-hard-i-love-history-as-a/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [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/) > [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. But I'm hooked on research, and I really, really enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-kent/i-really-hate-the-term-historical-novel-it-reminds-me-of-bodice/) [Hannah Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-kent/) > [If someone had told me in high school that one day I'd write an historical novel, I would have rolled my eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-horan/if-someone-had-told-me-in-high-school-that-one-day-i-d-write-an/) [Nancy Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-horan/) ## More by Hilary Mantel > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“The hunter is among the most innocent of men; living in the moment makes him feel pure. 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If things are going to go badly for you, is that what you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/come-to-that-don-t-pay-out-good-money-for-horoscopes-if-things-are/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“But my sins are my strength, he thinks; the sins I have done, that others have not even found the opportunity of committing. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/but-my-sins-are-my-strength-he-thinks-the-sins-i-have-done-that/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Feminism hasn't failed, it's just never been tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/feminism-hasn-t-failed-it-s-just-never-been-tried/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“Mirabeau: “If you have been told to clear us from this hall, you must ask for orders to use force. 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