One characteristic is that they can make history more accessible. By adding fictional elements, they engage readers who might find pure history textbooks dull. They can also offer different perspectives on historical events. However, it's important to note that they are not pure historical records and need to be read with a critical eye.
They can both enhance and distort the understanding. On one hand, they make history more interesting, so people are more likely to engage with historical periods. On the other hand, some readers might mistake the fictional elements for real history.
Fictionalized history often takes real historical events and makes some elements fictional, like adding fictional characters or conversations. Historical fiction, on the other hand, is a genre where the story is set in a historical period and uses historical settings and events as a backdrop for a largely fictional story. For example, a fictionalized history of a war might change the perspective by creating a fictional soldier's diary. While historical fiction like 'The Pillars of the Earth' is set in the Middle Ages but the main plot and characters are mostly made up, but still gives a sense of the time period.
One popular fictionalized memoir book is 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls. It tells a story that is based on her real - life experiences but is presented in a somewhat fictionalized way. Another is 'Running with Scissors' by Augusten Burroughs which also blurs the line between memoir and fiction.
You can also consider the ratio of fact to fiction. In fictionalized history, the facts usually dominate and the fictional parts are added sparingly to make the history more accessible or interesting. For example, in a fictionalized account of a historical revolution, most of the events leading to the revolution are real and only a few side stories are fictional. In historical fiction, the fiction often takes center stage. The historical setting and events are there to support the fictional plot. For instance, in a historical fiction about a medieval castle, the love story between the fictional characters is the main thing and the castle's historical details are secondary.
Fictionalized means to present something real or based on facts in a way that adds fictional elements or changes to make it more like a story or fictional account.