Week 1 of Understanding the Novel
This includes summary notes of the introductory lecture for Understanding the Novel. Learn about the different interpretations of the novel, what makes the literary canon, and how we can change that canon.
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University of Surrey | English Literature
Understanding The Novel 20/21
WEEK ONE – WHAT IS A NOVEL?
Oxford English Dictionary
A novel in the modern sense is a long fictional prose narrative that usually fills one or more volumes
and typically presents character and action with some degree of realism and complexity.
‘Reading a Novel’ in Royle and Bennett’s This Thing Called Literature (2015)
“The word ‘novel’ comes from the French nouvelle, which originates in the Latin novellae, meaning
‘news’. So one way of thinking of the novel might be as a narrative that tells us something ‘new’ […]
It records, explores and prompts you to think of something new, in a new way.”
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
The novel as a literary genre is itself exceptional: it disregards the constraints that govern other
literary forms, and acknowledges no obligatory structure, style, or subject-matter. Thriving on this
openness and flexibility, the novel has become the most important literary genre of the modern age.
• Novels do not have a set minimum length, but they are usually long enough to be published
as standalone books, unlike short stories.
• Novels often draw upon non-fictional prose forms like history, autobiography, journalism,
and travel writing, sometimes to the extent that the non-fictional aspects are more
prominent than the fictional elements.
• It is generally expected for a novel to have at least one character, preferably multiple
characters, who undergo changes and engage in social relationships. Additionally, a plot or
some arrangement of narrated events is typically expected in a novel.
Novel subtypes:
- Bildungsroman: Novels that follow the growth and development of a main character from
youth to adulthood.
- Epistolary Novel: Stories told through letters or written correspondence between characters.
- Historical Novel: Novels set in a specific historical time period, blending fiction with real
historical events.
- Mystery/Thriller: Suspenseful novels that revolve around solving a mystery or intense
situations.
- Science Fiction/Fantasy: Novels set in imaginative worlds, with science fiction focusing on
technology and fantasy featuring magic and mythical elements.
- Romance: Novels that explore romantic relationships and emotional connections.
- Satire: Humorous novels that critique individuals, society, or institutions.
- Gothic: Dark and mysterious novels featuring eerie settings and supernatural elements.
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