Historical figures are surrounded by thousands of figures lost to history, and Adrian Bliss’ book The Greatest Nobodies of History seeks to explore some of them, as well as a diverse mix of non-figures. Split into ten short stories, a blend of loose historical fact with a significant dose of fictional creative license attempts to explore some more diverse lives, with considerably mixed results.
Whether it’s following the showbiz lifestyle of Buffalo Bill’s horse, the royal oak which hid a persecuted royal or Henry VIII’s assistant on the privy, The Greatest Nobodies of History is a more tongue-in-cheek approach than I was hoping for when I had first opened its pages, but I was willing to suspend my apprehensions for this read. However, with a very wide range of interesting and fascinating creations mixed with considerably more dull fictions, I found myself lurching between very interested and very bored as we switched from one story to another.
Each fiction was followed with a small explanation of the real facts as we know, which was appreciated, but also highlights the extent of the fictitious expansions and creative liberties that had been taken, which almost negated a large portion of the story which came before. I would much rather have seen a wider collection of these short segments, exploring a wider range of nobodies, but in the purely factual realm.
There were two stories which particularly stood out due to their unique approach and creativity, however. Beginning with an interview between Samuel Pepys’ descendent and the Black Plague virus itself, the humanisation and unique pitch of this fiction led to a very entertaining interview dynamic, with the plague taking on this mysterious celebrity persona which fit the brief exceptionally well. I found myself conjuring images of this dark, cloudy and pulsating figure sitting across from the interviewer sharing her point of view, with a shocking and satisfying ending.
Similarly, the short tale regarding a ferret of Leonardo Da Vinci’s was comedic and enjoyable, with the ferret assuming a model-like and entitled persona, which modified as he became closer to the famous Renaissance painter. Humanising a mere ferret and giving it dialogue and a purpose in the story was a fantastic idea that works surprisingly well, and I would be interested in a longer exploration of the ferret’s woes.
The Greatest Nobodies of History is such a wild mix of good and bad, entertaining and flat stories that characterises an anthology such as this, just with significant frustration. Its fictitious expansions sometimes fitting well and other times being simply annoying, the book is such a mix that there will be something for everyone within its pages, but almost certainly a few that are certainly not your cup of tea!
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Greatest Nobodies of History (ISBN: 978-1-529-90745-2) was published in 2024
