In “The Decay of Lying,” Oscar Wilde wrote, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” While there are surely cases that could support that observation, we shouldn’t discount how often real life can be even crazier or stranger than fiction, which is probably why there are so many great books and films inspired by true stories.
Even if aliens don’t land in backyards or princes don’t slay dragons in these kinds of stories, there’s something to be said for fiction that transcends reality and gives us a deeper understanding of the world we live in.
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10 books based on true stories
Below are 10 fascinating stories that only real life could inspire.
You are reading: Books based on true stories
1. beautiful exiles by meg waite clayton
In 1936, successful journalist Martha Gellhorn met literary titan Ernest Hemingway at a bar in Key West. The two forged a flirtatious friendship, which grew into more as the pair covered the Spanish Civil War in Madrid, despite Hemingway’s marriage to journalist Pauline Pfeiffer.
It is this legendary and tumultuous romance that inspired Ward to write this riveting novel, which follows the two around the world, but also sheds light on a trailblazing woman who would become an award-winning war correspondent with a career spanning six decades.
2. save the bones by jesmyn ward
esch, our 15-year-old narrator, is pregnant and lives with her brothers and father in mississippi. When Hurricane Katrina hits, the family must barricade themselves inside, and the impending storm evens out and magnifies the tensions between them.
The author, Jesmyn Ward, visited her family in a small Mississippi town in late August 2005, just as Katrina was descending.
3. murder on the orient express of agatha christie
The young son of a famous pilot was kidnapped for ransom. the ransom was paid, but the boy was found dead shortly afterwards.
These are the events that unfold in the murder of Agatha Christie on the Orient Express, but they are also the events of a real-life crime and tragedy that took place in 1932, when Charles’s 20-month-old son Lindbergh was kidnapped and murdered. The grim story inspired the events of this thriller queen murder mystery.
4. look what i’ve done for sarah schmidt
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This novel imagines the 1892 Borden ax murders from four different perspectives, including that of the real-life prime suspect, Lizzie Borden; her older sister, emma; her maid, bridget; and a stranger named benjamin.
Although Lizzie was acquitted in real life, the story of these gruesome murders remains a much-speculated piece of American lore.
5. emma cline’s girls
If you’ve ever heard the name Manson, it won’t take you long to figure out what it’s based on: It’s summer in the late 1960s, and 14-year-old Evie falls in love with Suzanne, an enigmatic personality she finds in a los angeles park
Soon, he follows Suzanne to a cult, whose sprawling but run-down ranch is tucked away in the hills. ella edie she must decide if she is willing to comply with what the sect and her charismatic leader ask of her.
6. the revenant of michael punke
in 1823, fur trapper hugh glass was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions. Despite having no supplies, Glass survived and tracked down the men who abandoned him.
Although in real life Glass eventually forgave those who abandoned him, this novel focuses on Glass’s determination and survival driven by his single desire for revenge.
7. every man for himself by beryl bainbridge
Our fictional narrator, Morgan, is the American nephew of the shipping company owner. Over the course of four days, he recounts the events that preceded and followed the Titanic’s disastrous brush with an iceberg, and reveals how his fate is intertwined with that of other passengers, whose real names we have come to know well. p>
8. a brief history of seven murders by marlon james
in december 1976, just before the jamaican general election and two days before bob marley’s scheduled performance at the smile jamaica concert to ease political tensions, seven armed men broke into the singer’s home in an attack that He injured Marley, his wife, the manager, and several others.
This booker award-winning novel explores this tumultuous period in Jamaican history and the rumors surrounding the fate of the would-be anonymous killers.
9. white houses by amy bloom
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When reporter lorena “hick” hickok was sent to the white house to cover first lady eleanor roosevelt, she didn’t expect to fall in love, but that’s exactly what happened as the two developed a deep friendship and became inseparable .
Further details of their relationship have emerged in posthumously published love letters, and Bloom’s novel fictionalizes their romance from Hick’s point of view, as well as details of fdr’s presidency and his own extramarital affairs.
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10. leila slimani’s perfect babysitter
In 2012, Yoselyn Ortega allegedly murdered two children in her care in New York City. It is that gruesome true-life story that inspired Ortega to write this award-winning bestseller, in which the setting shifts to Paris and the focus shifts to the relationship between the grieving mother and the “perfect nanny” to whom she lives. that he trusted with his little children.
what are books based on true stories called?
Books that are based on true stories don’t really have a special name; most are just like any other novel, but the difference is that the plot was inspired by a real-life event or story, to varying degrees.
Sometimes, the protagonists are real historical figures, whose lives are reimagined on the page and many details are invented or speculated. in other cases, names are changed or some events are loosely based on a true story.
It’s important to remember the differences between fiction and nonfiction when reading books like these, and to understand that only writing that is 100% factual can be considered nonfiction.
Do you have a favorite book or movie based on a true story? Share it with us in the comments below!
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