The novel is one of the leading genres of modern literature. Despite the fact that it appeared in the eighteenth century, the peak of its popularity falls directly on the new and modern times. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the modern world, novel issues, often devoted to the fate of individuals, meet fewer obstacles and restrictions than in previous eras.
If you answer the question of what a novel is, you can find as many as two definitions. On the one hand, this is an epic work with a volume exceeding several hundred pages. And on the other - a work that tells about the fate of individuals who seek their destiny in the world. Moreover, given the fact that there is a novel in verse and a lyro-epic novel, the second definition is closer to the truth. In the works of this genre, as a rule, modernity is displayed, either directly or indirectly. In the second case, the novel may take place in an alternative universe or in the past, but its problems will still refer us to the world of the present.
You can not talk about what a novel is without mentioning its forms. Since there are many diverse works of this genre, their classification was adopted depending on some specific features. The most common forms of the novel include the following:
- An adventure novel. In it, the plot spins around the adventures of heroes who fall into various specific situations.
- A historical novel. Famous epics belong to the same category. In such works, the author, as a rule, refers to a particular era and seeks to depict the fate of a particular class of people.
- A psychological novel. In it, the thoughts and experiences of the protagonist (which, as a rule, are one) come to the fore. An effective plot line can be practically absent.
- A satirical novel. As the name implies, various social phenomena are ridiculed in this form of the novel.
- Realistic novel. The works of this variety are aimed at an objective reflection of the surrounding reality.
- a fantastic novel. This also includes works in the fantasy genre. In novels of this form, the author creates his own world in which the action takes place. It can be any parallel reality or a distant mechanized future.
- A journalistic novel. It is a work of journalism, created using artistic means and equipped with a plot.
So, the answers to the question of what a novel is can be lengthy and diverse, however, the works of this genre are quite easy to distinguish from the rest of prose. As a rule, novels have a large volume, and the characters in them develop throughout the plot. Many of them cover a wide range of problems that are somehow related to the modern world. Therefore, when discussing what a novel is, one should remember that this genre is inseparable from the time in which its author lived and created. And then it becomes clear that the novel is an artistic reflection of reality.