1. The Novel

2. The Novel – Etymology and Length The word “novel” comes from the Italian “novella” meaning “a little new thing”. A novella itself is now a narrative shorter than a novel (between 17,500 – 40,000 words). An example of a novella is The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway. It is common for novellas to be called novels. Ie. Letters from the Inside.

3. Development of the novel Shares characteristics of both the epic and the romance. Epic: Tells traditional story. Amalgam of myth, history, fiction. Heroes are gods and goddesses. Romance: Also features larger-than-life characters. Often involves a quest or pursuit of an enemy. Novel: These features are found in novels too, but novels are more realistic (supposedly).

4. Don Quixote Term for novel in most European languages is roman. Suggests closeness to the medieval romance. Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1605-15) - the story of a madman who tries to live by chivalry and romance explores illusion and reality in life – “birthed” the modern novel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphVa3lBf DA (21:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphVa3lBf DA

5. Where once writers were (and many still are) concerned with “absolute truths” – Cervantes focused on individual experience and senses. Characters no longer “detached gods” – placed characters in time and space and everyday life.

6. Beginning of fiction First “realistic” fiction (though extremely racist) - Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe (1719). Features sequence of episodes held together by the fact that they happen to one person. This person is also set into a specific part of the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t90d5lZBn 6U&feature=related

7. Now Since the 18 th c. the novel has become the most popular of literary forms. Why do you think this is?

8. Experimentation The 270 years following Robinson Crusoe has led to profound experimentation in the novel. Can you think of how writers have experimented? Think about: Narration, genre, structure.

9. Narration Narration: Role of the narrator? Whose p.o.v? Does this change through the story? Is the narrator in the story? (omniscient narrator eg. Dickens) Can you trust them? (unreliable narrator) Stream of consciousness – James Joyce, Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf. – Aims to reproduce the act of thought.