Writers play a huge role in the formation of the social unconscious. Often it is their opinion that is perceived as final when making serious decisions, and the events they describe, even the most fantastic, become the truth and overshadow any attempts to provide evidence to the contrary. An example of this is the work of Alexandre Dumas.
According to his novels, millions of people studied history without even thinking about how freely the writer juggled facts. He turned the guizars into servants of the Duke of Alençon, as was the case in the Countess de Monsoreau, changing the characters and marital status of the characters (has anyone heard of the fact that in reality the Comte Louis de Bucy was married, as well as Hyacinth de La Mole?), he created collective images from several historical figures, at the exit receiving Porthos and Aramisov, and this is not a complete list of how the famous classic rewrote history with his imagination. But what difference does it make that two-thirds of his books are fiction? Who, having read "Queen Margot" once, would believe some encyclopedias and boring history teachers who insist that there are heaps of inconsistencies in the novel?
Alexandre Dumas actually marked the beginning of a new era in literature. From now on, this is how we represent historical books - bright, exciting, full of intrigue and adventure. How much truth will they have? Few people decide to check. But if suddenly such a desire arises, there is a great risk of disappointment in their idols, be they among writers or heroes. However, this does not mean at all that you need to give up your favorite genre. First, there is a grain of truth in any invention. And even in Dumas it can be found with due diligence. Secondly, reading is not only a search for reliable information, but also entertainment. After all, fantasy has long been one of the most popular literary movements. Thirdly, one can always find among the works of classics or contemporaries those where truth and fiction are combined in a decent proportion, and among the pile of fantasy, the canvas of truth clearly appears.
Dumas fans who like to read about France of those times when kings sat on the thrones, and intrigues were on the sidelines, but want a little more verifiable facts in fiction, can try to get acquainted with the work of Olga Baskova, or rather with her novel "The True Story of the Necklace Antoinette ". The situation that happened in the years when the legendary Marie Antoinette shone in the European royal sky is rather difficult to describe without resorting to the help of imagination. It is a jumble of secrets that have not been given to any scientist. The necklace Louis XV ordered for his mistress Madame Dubarry is gone. Its price is such that even a queen cannot afford such a luxury. But you want to put it on a swan neck! It was then that the Countess de La Motte, one of the last illegitimate descendants of Henry III of Valois and an adventurer famous for centuries, together with Count Cagliostro, came up with a plan for how to appropriate the treasure. Why not deceive the disgraced Cardinal de Rogan, who dreams of returning to the court, and convince him that for the queen's mercy all that is needed is to present her confidante with a certain necklace?
From history, everyone who is fond of facts knows that all the listed characters were tried in a high-profile case. The necklace was never found. Marie Antoinette was discredited. Jeanne de La Motte received a public punishment, escaped from prison to England, and there she wrote revealing memoirs that served as a match at the stake of public outrage directed against the royal couple. All this is in the novel by Olga Baskova. Of course, personal motives, romantic lines are intertwined in the plot, the owner of the missing diamonds is found, and the unconfirmed documentary facts about Jeanne's later life turn into the truth. That is, on the solid skeleton of confirmed data, the meat of invented emotions is growing, and guesses and assumptions are presented as something not subject to challenge. The result is a very convincing mix that captivates, intrigues and makes you walk with the heroine of the novel a long way from the impoverished quarters of Paris to the rich mansions of London and then to St. Petersburg to end your days in the hot Crimea.
While reading Olga Baskova's book, a comparison with the work of Alexandre Dumas naturally suggests itself. A tense atmosphere of mystery, a presentiment of imminent disaster, thunderstorm discharges in the bright sky, and now everything around is covered with clouds, from which rain is about to pour down, which can become a real downpour and drown in the ocean of ambitions, emotions, passions and betrayals of anyone who does not clean up in time from the road. The era chosen for the development of the plot, the characters of the characters, the main lines - everything seems a little familiar. Although the situation itself is different, the emotional component of the female author is traditionally stronger, unlike the adventure line, which more dynamically and more favorably sets off the story of the classic.
Is it necessary to look for something new when the reader has dozens of Dumas novels at his disposal (and there is still Druon and a number of other similar writers who have stood the test of time)? Here you will have to decide on your own. But, if such a desire arises, there are opportunities. Indeed, in the twenty-first century, books continue to be created, including in the pseudo-historical genre, implying a mix of truth and lies in the proportion from one to one to one to infinity.
