The Novel: Definition, History, and Changing Forms

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What is a novel?

An extended work of narrative fiction, usually written in prose and published as a book. Its length commonly allows developed plots, characters, and settings.

Where does the word “novel” come from?

It comes from Italian *novella*, meaning something new, news, or a short story about something new; the term ultimately derives from Latin *novus*, meaning “new.”

How did critics traditionally distinguish the novel from romance?

The novel was associated with a realistic depiction of society, while romance was associated with marvelous or uncommon incidents. Actual works often blur this distinction.

What is meant by intimacy in novel reading?

Prose fiction can create a close reading experience by presenting personal views, private feelings, anxieties, and characters’ inner lives.

Is there an exact word-count definition of a novel?

No. Novels are generally longer than novellas, but the boundary is not precise. E. M. Forster proposed at least fifty thousand words as one possible guideline.

Quiz questions

1. How did urban growth and printed books contribute to Chinese long-form fiction during the Ming dynasty?Answer: They helped oral storytelling forms develop into long, multi-volume vernacular novels.
2. Which technique is characteristic of Laurence Sterne’s experimental novel *Tristram Shandy*?Answer: Interrupting continuous narration with direct address and visual devices.
3. Which literary historian argued that the modern novel was born in the early eighteenth century with *Robinson Crusoe*?Answer: Ian Watt.
4. What does stream of consciousness attempt to represent?Answer: The flow of a character’s thoughts and inner experience.