What worries me is that my novel has lots of characters with foreign names. Many are historical characters but a lot of people won't recognize them so it makes no difference. The problem is that some of the names would look similar to the reader. How do you deal with this? The usual solution is putting a guide with each character at the end. Or maybe I should constantly be reminding the reader who everybody is.
Foreign names confusing the readers
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I'm one of those readers who struggles and often fails to keep characters with unfamiliar names sorted. I might flip to a guide a few times, but I wouldn't like doing so. I'd be happier to have frequent reminders who's who, and such well-defined characters that I can keep them straight despite the name issues.
One thing done in popular fiction is the assignment of a sort of 'signature' in appearance, behavior, or speech pattern by which the reader is reminded who that character is when s/he appears again. Give characters lacking name recognition a distinctive and memorable something, and it'll really help.
Maryn, who's given up on books where she could keep characters straight
One thing done in popular fiction is the assignment of a sort of 'signature' in appearance, behavior, or speech pattern by which the reader is reminded who that character is when s/he appears again. Give characters lacking name recognition a distinctive and memorable something, and it'll really help.
Maryn, who's given up on books where she could keep characters straight
The most difficulty I ever remember in sorting out who was who was in Doestoevsky, Crime and Punishment, I think (about 50 years ago). And if I remember correctly, there was no guide to who was who. You might want to take a look at it in comparison to your story to see whether you're worse off than he was. Or look at some of the other Russian writers. They can pose problems for us. Puma
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I have this a little with my characters. Both the hero and his son are called Thomas, plus various other minor characters. Both the heroine's sister and step-mother are called Mary. Both her father and a brother are called Godfrey. I rely on shortening names, using different titles, using surnames, or referring to ‘my sister Mary’ and ‘Little Tom’ etc. I have the advantage of these being familiar names to English-speaking readers though. I’m not a patient enough reader to use a guide, nor astute enough to pick up on subtle mannerisms to identify similar-sounding names (though I would still suggest you use this since it’s good practice anyway). I would therefore suggest shortening the names where appropriate to make them easier to pronounce, distinctive, and easier to remember.
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I teach a "History through Historical Fiction" class at my kids co-op (cool, huh?)
We just read Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Because the names were Jewish, the kids found them unfamiliar and had some questions about how to pronounce them. It did not deter them from throughly enjoying the book though.
So unfamiliar names are ok, I think. But, unfamiliar names that are also very similar...not ok. I'm not good with names in real life, or literature, familiar or unfamiliar...so if you give me a book with unfamiliar names that are similar...YIKES! I don't think I would make it through that.
We just read Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Because the names were Jewish, the kids found them unfamiliar and had some questions about how to pronounce them. It did not deter them from throughly enjoying the book though.
So unfamiliar names are ok, I think. But, unfamiliar names that are also very similar...not ok. I'm not good with names in real life, or literature, familiar or unfamiliar...so if you give me a book with unfamiliar names that are similar...YIKES! I don't think I would make it through that.
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Names should usually be fairly distinct, I think. You don't want a Susan and a Suze and a Susannah in the same book (unless that's the plot.) Or Anaxghghh'krll and Axandgh'hrkll. I don't think it matters whether they're foreign or not; you don't need to know how Bellocq or Featherstonehaugh are pronounced in order to recognise them and distinguish them from each other.
I'm with Puma, and it was probably around 45 years ago. Don't remember if it was D or one of the other Russians of that era. It seemed like each character had 3 different names (formal name, nickname, diminutive name) within the first 50 pages. I didn't throw it against the wall, but I did return it to the library post haste.
I don't really care if I can pronounce the names, as long as I can keep the characters separate in my mind.
MM
Interesting. Almost all the novels I have read give a different name to each character. Odds are there should be two with the same name, but why risk confusing the reader?
Yes, the problem is that I'm using historical characters so can't help it if a couple of names sound alike. Also this characters are similar. I guess I would have to make them as different as possible within the limits of known history.
That shouldn't be all that hard. Maybe somebody always touches his ear, another is constantly eating, a third wears something yellow all the time, another talks a little too loudly, someone else has bad breath enough that people back away, someone else invariably is carrying one of his/her children. You can invent traits like that for real people based on nothing beyond portraits, if they exist, or on what's know of their age, family size, or whatever else you know about them.
It sounds like fun, actually.
Maryn, who couldn't handle historical except for this part
It sounds like fun, actually.
Maryn, who couldn't handle historical except for this part
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I don't think it matters so much if the names are foreign or not. I had a beast of a time keeping everyone straight in War and Peace but it wasn't because they were foreign but because Tolstoy keep using different names for them (add a French form to the usual Russian variations). I'm always confused by Gaudy Night by Sayers despite having read it 10+ times because of all the teachers with common names (Miss Barton, Miss Burton. Miss Martin) and the way she also mixes in what they teach or their titles ('the Biology lecturer', 'the Dean' etc). If you keep the names distinctive and just use one for each character, you should be fine.
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That's a problem with Sons of Gods.
There's Dhritarashtra and Drishtayumna, Yudhisthira, Jaradratha, Jarasamdha; Bhishma and Bhima.
I have a family tree at the beginning and a List of Main Characters at the back. Still, I know some readers will be confused.
There's Dhritarashtra and Drishtayumna, Yudhisthira, Jaradratha, Jarasamdha; Bhishma and Bhima.
I have a family tree at the beginning and a List of Main Characters at the back. Still, I know some readers will be confused.
I'm reading The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman, and there are a lot of Richards, Edwards, Annes, and Elizabeths. The way she got around it is to give each one a distinctive nickname. Richard III is called Dickon, Edward IV is called Ned, Elizabeth of York is called Bess. Penman does also use their full names from time to time, but the nicknames don't overlap so you know who is being talked about.
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I had that problem with "100 years of solitude". I'm half Hispanic and a native Spanish speaker so the names are all familiar to me but they all have the same names as it's a very Hispanic thing to name children after the members of the previous generations. I have the same name as my mother, it's so annoying I don't know how the tradition survived...
Anyway, I would not be able to get into Historical fiction if the characters' names were not accurate. Let's face it, names go through trends. In the past, the pool of names was much smaller than now, especially in countries where the tradition to name children after people in the Bible was particularly strong. Also, names have importance in places where lineage determined most of your life. I'd rather have to work to figure out who is who than not be able to get in the zone because it triggers my period-inappropriate sensors
Anyway, I would not be able to get into Historical fiction if the characters' names were not accurate. Let's face it, names go through trends. In the past, the pool of names was much smaller than now, especially in countries where the tradition to name children after people in the Bible was particularly strong. Also, names have importance in places where lineage determined most of your life. I'd rather have to work to figure out who is who than not be able to get in the zone because it triggers my period-inappropriate sensors
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I had this problem in my current WIP. When it's creative nonfiction, or historical biography, what do you do when everybody has the name Bill? I've got the main character's brother, Bill. I've got WC Fields, who went by Bill, I've got Flo Ziegfeld's wife, Billie Burke, and it seems like there were one or two others who were also Bill, so I had to use nicknames and such.
Also, the name Jack. Nickname for one, Jack for the other.
For my next WIP, I'm planning ahead. I already have two Florences and two Valentines (of all the names to have two of!).
Also, the name Jack. Nickname for one, Jack for the other.
For my next WIP, I'm planning ahead. I already have two Florences and two Valentines (of all the names to have two of!).
In my historical, faction or creative non-fiction, I used almost 100% real people. In many of the families three and four generations used the same given name - David was the worst. So I made one David (the adult who showed up the most), one Davey, one young David, and one Mr. Last Name (the grand-father). Puma
Just a thought. If people won't recognize the names anyway, why not change them? I understand you're going for historical accuracy, but wouldn't assigning nicknames to them that they didn't actually use not be accurate either?
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I'm with Motley. Use nicknames or distinguish them somehow. Your main thrust is to communicate with your reader, be it fiction or nonfic anyway, ¿no?
An author's note explaining that Character Jack's name was actually Jackson Merriweather III or whatever's the actual name may come in handy.
An author's note explaining that Character Jack's name was actually Jackson Merriweather III or whatever's the actual name may come in handy.
Often the writer just takes the liberty of renaming one fo the characters, or using a nickname.
So the musical 'Sound of Music' just renamed the kids to avoid having the governess share the name 'Maria' with one of the kids.
Another problem is that that some names are distinctly female now whereas other cultures or times treat them as male names. (eg: Jan). So you can Anglicise it as 'Ian' or change it to 'Yan' to emphasise the non-English nature of the culture .. but it can be confusing if you leave a guy as 'Jan'.
Good luck,
Mac
Well, I want my readers to be able to put the name in google and receive a lot of entries. If I give them the true name first but then only use the nickname they would probably think it was invented when they google it.
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Yes, I could play with the translation. When translating some english authors use C and others use K. Maybe for the similar names I could use C for one and K for another, to make them a little more different.
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Honestly, if you wrote a Swedish guy being called 'Ian' I'd assume you didn't know what you were talking about...
If we can live with the fact that Brad Pitt's last name means 'penis' in Swedish I'm sure an English speaker can survive the cultural clash of a 'Jan' or accept that 'Shirley' in the Anne of Green Gable books is a he.
Honestly, if you wrote a Swedish guy being called 'Ian' I'd assume you didn't know what you were talking about...
If we can live with the fact that Brad Pitt's last name means 'penis' in Swedish I'm sure an English speaker can survive the cultural clash of a 'Jan' or accept that 'Shirley' in the Anne of Green Gable books is a he.
My last tutor was called Jan and he was as English as the day is long.
A lot of guys are still called Marion or Kelly in books so I don't see why not.
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Now that you mention it, I've met an English male Jan as well. And Evelyn is a nice name for a boy!
The past is a different place. So are, incidentally, other countries. They may do things differently or have different names there.
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