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d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/art/novel">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref50973"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel#ref50973">Elements</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50974"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel#ref50974">Plot</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50975"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Character">Character</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50976"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Character#ref50976">Scene, or setting</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50977"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Narrative-method-and-point-of-view">Narrative method and point of view</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50978"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Narrative-method-and-point-of-view#ref50978">Scope, or dimension</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50979"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Narrative-method-and-point-of-view#ref50979">Myth, symbolism, significance</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref50980"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Uses">Uses</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50981"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Uses#ref50981">Interpretation of life</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50982"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Uses#ref50982">Entertainment or escape</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50983"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Propaganda">Propaganda</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50984"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Propaganda#ref50984">Reportage</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50985"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Propaganda#ref50985">Agent of change in language and thought</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50986"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Expression-of-the-spirit-of-its-age">Expression of the spirit of its age</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50987"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Expression-of-the-spirit-of-its-age#ref50987">Creator of life-style and arbiter of taste</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref50988"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Style">Style</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50989"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Style#ref50989">Romanticism</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50990"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Style#ref50990">Realism</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50991"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Naturalism">Naturalism</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50992"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Naturalism#ref50992">Impressionism</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50993"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Naturalism#ref50993">Expressionism</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50994"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Naturalism#ref50994">Avant-gardism</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref50995"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel">Types of novel</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50996"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel#ref50996">Historical</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50997"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel#ref50997">Picaresque</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50998"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel#ref50998">Sentimental</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref50999"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel#ref50999">Gothic</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51000"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Types-of-novel#ref51000">Psychological</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51001"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-novel-of-manners">The novel of manners</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51002"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-novel-of-manners#ref51002">Epistolary</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51003"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-novel-of-manners#ref51003">Pastoral</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51004"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-novel-of-manners#ref51004">Apprenticeship</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51005"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Roman-a-clef">Roman à clef</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51006"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Roman-a-clef#ref51006">Antinovel</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51007"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Roman-a-clef#ref51007">Cult, or coterie, novels</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51008"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Roman-a-clef#ref51008">Detective, mystery, thriller</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51009"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Roman-a-clef#ref51009">Western</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51010"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-best-seller">The best seller</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51011"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-best-seller#ref51011">Fantasy and prophecy</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51012"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-best-seller#ref51012">Proletarian</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref51013"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/The-best-seller#ref51013">Other types</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref51036"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Social-and-economic-aspects">Social and economic aspects</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref51037"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Evaluation-and-study">Evaluation and study</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref51038"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/art/novel/Evaluation-and-study#ref51038">The future of the novel</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/art/novel/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900 selected" href="/facts/novel">Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/art/novel/images-videos">Images, Videos & Interactives</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div 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Jemisin</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">American author</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/165207-050-156E2874/Anthony-Horowitz.jpg?h=400&w=300&c=crop" alt="Anthony Horowitz" /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Anthony-Horowitz">Anthony Horowitz</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">British author</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/240447-050-05345860/My-Brilliant-Friend-publicity-still-Gaia-Girace-Margherita-Mazzucco-elena-ferrante.jpg?h=400&w=300&c=crop" alt="My Brilliant Friend" /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" 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class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">Nigerian American author</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/99/254299-050-F9828B0D/Ottessa-Moshfegh-2023.jpg?h=400&w=300&c=crop" alt="Ottessa Moshfegh" /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Ottessa-Moshfegh">Ottessa Moshfegh</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">American author</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/25/237325-050-398F2A47/Author-Colleen-Hoover-2016.jpg?h=400&w=300&c=crop" alt="Colleen Hoover" /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Colleen-Hoover">Colleen Hoover</a> <div class="caption mt-5 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