History of the Novel Genre

Origin of the Novel

• The English word "novel" comes from the Italian "novella", meaning "new", "news", or "short story of something new".
• The Italian "novella" is derived from the Latin "novella".

Definition of a Novel

• A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose.

Historical Roots of the Novel

• The genre has historical roots in the fields of medieval and early modern romance.
• The roots of the novel extend as far back as the beginning of communication and language.

Development of the English Novel

The Romantic Period

• The Romantic period saw the first flowering of the English novel.
• The Romantic and Gothic novels are closely related, imagining almost-supernatural forces operating in nature or directing human fate.

The 18th Century Novel

• The English novel developed during the 18th century, partly in response to an expansion of the middle-class reading public.
• One of the major early works in this genre was the seminal castaway novel Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe.
• The 18th century novel tended to be loosely structured and semi-comic.
• There was a public demand for novels during this period.