Novel

A novel is a fictional piece of prose that is typically written in a narrative style and presented as a bound book. Novels tell stories, which are usually defined as a series of events described in a sequence. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has risen to prominence and remainedone of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. Its form and presentation tends to change with the times, but it remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world.
Required Elements
Novels are different from stories, poems, and narratives in a number of key respects. Though they are presented in the form of a book, they aremuch more than that — in most cases, any bound paper constitutes a book. All novels are books, therefore, but not all books are novels.
Most literary scholars define novels by what they contain and how they are presented. First, a novel must written down rather than told through an oral account. Many ancient stories were passed down from generation to generation through story tellers, and thoughmany of these may have been long enough or complex enough to be novels, they do not qualify unless they are recorded in some permanent way.
The work must also be wholly fictitious. Personal reflections, recounting of actual events, or historical reports do not qualify; neither do myths, which tend to have their basis in reality or theology. So long as it is written down and is entirely a work ofthe author or authors’ imagination, it will usually qualify. There is no universally established guideline for a novel’s length, point-of-view, or even establishment of a moral or philosophical point. Most of the time, though, the storyline must be somewhat complex, and there must be several angles to the narrative. The main differences between a short story and a novel are length and plotdevelopment. As a general rule, works up to 100 pages are short stories; longer works cross the line into novel territory.
The only exception to this rule is the novella, which is usually held to be a work of fiction that falls somewhere between a short story and a novel. There is no defined rule for when a work transitions between these phases, and much is left up to the discretion of the reader.Novellas are typically shorter than ordinary novels and often contain only a few characters, but not always. The distinction is usually quite fluid.
Early Examples
An early Sanskrit story called Dasakumaracarita may be the earliest example, though an 11th century Japanese book called The Tale of Genji is more commonly accepted as the origin of modern novels. This tale was written by Lady MurasakiShikibu, a minor court member. It traces the heroics and female conquests of the main character, whom many have dubbed “a Japanese Don Juan.” It is perhaps in this work that novels gained their reputation for being, at times, a bit silly and trifling, despite numerous examples throughout the centuries of superlative writing in the style.
Distribution and Influence
The first novels existed assingle outputs — wide distribution was impossible until the use of printing presses became common throughout the world. Even large-scale printing did not make these works immediately popular, though. Throughout the centuries, the novel stumbled along with great waxing and waning in popularity. Many modern examples of so-called great masterpieces were written throughout the 19th and 20th centuries,when novels finally gained a permanent position as an acceptable form of literature. Since that time, they have become the most common form of published literature, far outpacing plays, poetry, and works of non-fiction that once held sway over the literate world.
Cultural Significance and Power
Novels are often beloved for their creation of spectacular worlds, empathetic characters, and carefully...