In an attempt to define a novel, we may say that it is a fictitious prose narrative dealing with the life of ordinary people; its length is variable and it addresses common people. It appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, and it was developed at a time when the industrial revolution created a desire to read books related to people’s everyday experiences.
It replaced poetry and drama which had been fashionable until then, furthermore it is important to highlight that the novel was intended for ordinary people as evidenced by some famous novels’ titles such as Joseph Andrews or Tom Jones. Indeed, it developed as a piece of prose fiction that introduces us to real life characters. It clearly showed a growing awareness for the rights of the people in a period of social changes.
The rise of the novel was also encouraged thanks to the innovations in printing and the magazine The Spectator (the oldest weekly magazine in the world since 1828) which helped discover new novels and authors. It marks the origin of social and domestic novels. The precursors of the novel were Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe in 1719), John Bunyan (The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678) and Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s travels in 1726). They dealt with realism, romance, morality and adventure. Later on, some other writers were considered the “Four Wheels of the novel”, in other words, their founders; they were Tobias Smollett (The Adventures Of Roderick Random in 1748), Laurence Sterne (The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman in 1759), Samuel Richardson (Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded in 1740) and Henry Fielding (Tom Jones in 1749).
Nowadays the novel is seen as a considerable art form and the language is a great part of it. Its genre has somewhat evolved throughout the centuries; the narrative techniques are used in different ways and produce various effects. Furthermore, it is a source of entertainment as well as information considering emotions and human behaviour to quote only a few examples. In the 20th century the novel has inspired the cinema: many novels have been adapted more or less successfully.
To highlight : mettre l’accent sur
Awareness : conscience
A romance : une histoire d’amour, un roman d’amour
The founders : les fondateurs
Entertainment : divertissement
A behaviour : un comportement
