Talk:Stone's Fall

Additions or corrections to this article are welcome.

Of course they are: this is Wikipedia.

Please explain your changes and be specific. An unsupported slam is not helpful. WCCasey (talk) 05:03, 22 February 2010 (UTC)

We're not obliged to explain changes. See WP:OWN. 86.27.17.182 (talk) 14:26, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

I never claimed that anyone is obliged to explain changes. I asked that editors please explain changes so that I can respond and make improvements. You have done that - thank you. I will study the OR policy and find published reviews to reference in place of my own judgements. WCCasey (talk) 05:54, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Original research

Much - if not most - of this article is way in breach of WP:NOR. The introduction section appears to be unsourced editorial analysis of the book, and the collection of historical references is analysis of the book's content not previously published. I've raised it at Wikipedia:No original research/Noticeboard.

I've moved the introduction here for analysis. But it looks like OR to me, and the editorial bias is certainly unacceptable: "excellent ... a rare treat ... one of the current masters ... etc" all would be fine in promotional blurbs, but they are not encyclopedic descriptions. 86.27.17.182 (talk) 16:39, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Stone’s Fall is an excellent mystery novel, but it is a rare treat for fans of historical novels. Iain Pears is one of the current masters at seamlessly embedding fictional characters and events into an authentic and fully developed context of real places, historical events and famous characters. Many novelists do a fine job of placing their fictional characters in a believable historic setting (i.e. Pears’ own The Portrait), but few attempt to include actual persons and events that can be researched and verified (or not) by the curious reader. As he did in his earlier novel An Instance of the Fingerpost, Pears inspires the reader to learn more about the history underlying the fiction. The exemplar of this demanding style is Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, which inspired a whole wiki where fans shared their historical enquiries (sadly, that wiki has disappeared; follow the internal link instead). In addition to the skillful peeling away of the story’s many layers of mystery, Pears offers an intriguing and plausible alternative explanation for events that came to be known as “The Panic of 1890”. Readers who would never pick up a non-fiction book about the banking world of late nineteenth-century Great Britain will soon know the difference between a Baring and a Rothschild. The story is topical, as well; the Panic of 1890 make an interesting exercise in "compare and contrast" with U.S. events of 2008. Finally, the gradually-revealed "secret" story of international intrigue, blackmail and bribery by a powerful industrial/financial tycoon is skillfully constructed and plausible enough to be profoundly disturbing. The next section, Historical References (direct and indirect), lists existing and/or historical persons, places and events mentioned in Stone’s Fall, with internal links to other Wikipedia articles where external references may be found. “Direct” references use actual names, whereas “indirect” references are fictional names relating in some way to actual ones. Bold sub-headings indicate changes in locale within the story. Page numbers are from the hardcover edition. The final section, Historical Liberties, includes a listing of inconsistencies found between historical facts and the same “facts” as presented in Stone’s Fall (liberties rather than errors: it is, after all, a novel).

Article revised

I've completely revised the article; removing any material that might be considered original research and adding references. WCCasey (talk) 05:51, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Historical References

The Historical References section is unusual for Wikipedia, in its length and detail. However I support it and believe it's appropriate for this particular novel, which relies so heavily on factual places and events. I'm confident that another Wikipedian, at some time in the future, will want to delete/move/trim-down that section - but I would disagree ahead of any such action. Feel free to contact me at some future date to discuss further. Green Cardamom (talk) 07:17, 18 February 2011 (UTC)

Green Cardamom That day has come. Virtually all historical fiction relies on factual places and events. Thats what makes it historical fiction.These sections would make an excellent blog, or perhaps even book, but they are not an encyclopedia article. Compare to any historical fiction novel in the wiki. More aptly, compare to The Da Vinci Code where

• The historical locations, events, etc are much more directly relevant to the plot (vs this book, where the fact that stuff took place in St James Square is really irrelevant)
• There are numerous reliable sources specifically sourcing the historical references
  • http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12645985/ns/travel-destination_travel/t/plan-your-pilgrimage-da-vinci-code-sites/
  • www.amazon.com/The-Art-Mythology-Vinci-Code/dp/0974474738?tag=duckduckgo-d-20

Gaijin42 (talk) 02:40, 23 November 2015 (UTC)