I’ve become a convert. We’ve owned many “Hentys”, books written by G.A. Henty, for many years. The girls and I attempted to read some many years ago, and I’ve dabble a bit in the past, but they always seemed slow moving to me, too detailed in interests that were more “boy stuff”. None of the girls ever got into them.
Well, I decided to take up Henty once more, this time through some audios I had bought, mostly through a going out of business sale, (so VERY cheap,) and others with credits I had accumulated at audible.com, or through our CBD links. In listening I immediately recognized my holdback, I want the “real history” story and NOW, rather than to have it slowly woven through the fictional story. That’s just the way I am. I read VERY little fiction. It just isn’t worth the time to me. But recognizing this, helped my to relax, get caught up in and enjoy the story, (as long as I could listen while I was going to bed or getting up, so I wasn’t using time I could be doing something else,) knowing that in the end I would have a good deal of “real history” learned.
Henty has been praised far and wide as the great writer of “boy’s” stories. I knew I couldn’t shun him, but neither was I personally caught up in him. I now know his place – here anyhow.
Although I won’t allow fiction to take the place of “purer” history through source documents, I’ve always advocated literature of the time period to go along with that. I believe Hentys can have a strong place in that position. And I plan to utilize them more in that place. I’m hoping that my boys “catch on” and enjoy them more than the girls did. I may have to hook them with the audio versions too.
P.S. For those of you who want those online books to download – here’s a link at Project Gutenberg, scroll down to Henty.
