Commingling of History and Fiction in Julian Barnes’ A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters

This paper intends to explore the relationship between history and fiction in the novel A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters (1989) by the British writer Julian Barnes in order to indicate how these two notionshave been commingled in different time periods. In this regard, the focus of the current study is to investigatethe above-mentioned novel, and to demonstrate the invalidity of historical records, their subjectivity, and how throughout history myths have become realities, with an eye on New Historicism. By the end of this study, its reader’s attitude towards history and what s/he is presented with as fact and truth is hoped to change, not toreadily accept historical records and stories as absolute truths, rather to consider them one possible historyamong many others that might have been marginalized and suppressed by a dominant ideology. Barnes, bynarrating stories which are at odds with what most people are familar with, intends to problematize fictions which for centuries have been deemd as facts.

Keywords:

Julian Barnes , History , Truth , Fiction , New Historicism