Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

 For those of you who have never read The Historian or any of Kostova's other books, let me preface this review by saying that the book is huge. And there's a lot of description. And a lot of travel. And a lot of letters and storytelling. In general, it is a very layered book. 

I personally love it for all of these things, because it creates an immersive experience for the reader. I have read reviews in which readers disliked the book for precisely the reasons that I liked it, so it's really a matter of personal preference. If it helps at all, I'm not one for too much description, generally speaking, but this book is one of those rare exceptions that grabbed my attention from the very beginning.

Opening Line:
“In 1972 I was sixteen - young, my father said, to be traveling with him on his diplomatic missions.”

 

An intricately-devised mystery, fascinating main characters, historical fiction done in a way I’ve never experienced before - all with a dash of the supernatural - make this book a stunning, gorgeous ride. Make no mistake, however - despite its title, this is very much a fantasy novel. 

There is so much detail that one can easily tell how much work Kostova put into it - especially when it comes to research. Trust me when I say that this is a book you won’t regret reading. Even the copious descriptions are entrancing! The main characters travel through so many different countries, and every single setting is so alluringly described you almost feel like you’re really there (or you badly wish you were). 

This is a brick of a book - at a whopping 704 pages - but it’s an amazing read. There is mystery upon mystery, story within story, and a long trail of clues that leads our main characters down eerie, intriguing paths. Seriously - this book is a Matryoshka doll.

And - before you Google it and get surprised - yes, there are vampires. But not like they’ve come to be known. If you let this book carry you through, without too much expectation, you may find that you like it as much as I do.

Yes, there are many people who have issues with the ending and the climax that comes with it. They may feel cheated. But I didn’t. For me, this book was about the journey. Sure, it’s told in detailed letters and stories, and sure, it’s a huge book that will probably take twice as long to read compared to most of my other books, but to me, it was worth it.

And, please remember - this is Kostova’s debut novel. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a huge accomplishment, and a fun read. 

Content Rating: Mild+ / Fiction T

Trigger Warnings: This is a mostly atmospheric book, with very little graphic depiction of violence or anything like that. If you happen to find something problematic in the book that you feel should be added here, please let me know. 

If you do give this one a read, let me know what you thought of it!

Part of this review comes from a Tumblr post I made on the book in 2019.