"Historians tell the story of the past, novelists the story of the present"

Edmond De Goncourt’s observation draws a sharp distinction between the roles of the historian and the novelist, each serving as storytellers, but for different epochs of human experience. The historian carefully reconstructs, interprets, and records past events, seeking to make sense of what has already happened. Their work depends on sources, evidence, and objective analysis, often striving for a narrative as free of present-day bias as possible. Historians bridge the distance between then and now, allowing us to peer into eras gone by, understand their motivations, conflicts, and resolutions, and reflect on how those events shape the world today. Their stories emerge from archives, artifacts, and collective memory, and while subjective coloring is inevitable, their primary allegiance lies with a truthful depiction of what was.

On the other hand, the novelist, though they may set their tales in the past or construct imaginary futures, fundamentally channels the anxieties, dreams, and ideas of the time in which they write. The novelist’s canvas is the present, its longings, contradictions, and possibilities. Through invented characters and plots, novelists distill the spirit of their own age, holding up a mirror to society and human nature as they are currently experienced. The themes they tackle, the dilemmas their characters face, and even their language are all shaped by the present moment. Their creativity liberates them from factual constraints, allowing deeper exploration into the emotional, psychological, and moral landscapes that dominate contemporary life.

Both the historian and the novelist are storytellers, but while one seeks to explain how the present came to be, the other strives to capture the essence of the present as it unfolds. In a sense, the stories of novelists may become the material of future historians, each discipline chasing after understanding, one looking backwards, the other illuminating the current reality through imagination and empathy.