An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters between the fictional characters of a narrative.[1] The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings, and sometimes considered to include novels composed of documents even if they do not include letters at all.[2][3] More recently, epistolaries may include electronic documents such as recordings and radio, blog posts, and e-mails. The word epistolary is derived from Latin from the Greek word epistolē (ἐπιστολή), meaning a letter . This type of fiction is also sometimes known by the German term Briefroman or more generally as epistolary fiction.
The epistolary form can be seen as adding greater realism to a story, due to the text existing diegetically within the lives of the characters. It is in particular able to demonstrate differing points of view without recourse to the device of an omniscient narrator. An important strategic device in the epistolary novel for creating the impression of authenticity of the letters is the fictional editor.[4]
- ^ Miller, E. Ce (2 October 2017). "11 Epistolary Novels That'll Make You Miss The Days of Letter Writing". Bustle.
- ^ Beebee, Thomas O. (1999). Epistolary Fiction in Europe, 1500–1850. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521622752.
- ^ Salsini, Laura Anne (2010). Addressing the Letter: Italian Women Writers' Epistolary Fiction. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442641655.
- ^ A. Takeda. Die Erfindung des Anderen: Zur Genese des fiktionalen Herausgebers im Briefroman des 18. Jahrhunderts. Würzburg, 2008; U. Wirth. Die Geburt des Autors aus dem Geist der Herausgeberfiktion. Editoriale Rahmung im Roman um 1800. Munich, 2008.