What is the meaning of epistolary fiction?

What is the meaning of epistolary fiction?

The term “epistolary novel” refers to the works of fiction that are written in the form of letters or other documents. “Epistolary” is simply the adjectival form of the noun epistle, from the Latinized Greek for letter. The letter as a written genre, of course, predates the novel itself.

What is the epistolary style?

In an epistolary novel, the story is told through the form of love letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings, telegrams, or other documents. A modern novel in the epistolary form may include electronic documents such as emails or text messages.

What is meant by epistolary give an example?

Epistolary novel is a type of novel in which the story is narrated with the help of a series of private and personal letters. Samuel Richardson’s ‘Pamela’ is an example of epistolary novel which tells its story by exchange of letters between two lovers.

Why would an author use epistolary?

Function of Epistolary The primary function of this form of writing is to give readers an intimate view of characters’ feelings and thoughts, and develop a direct connection with the events through letters without interference of the author.

How long are epistolary novels?

Many forms of correspondence are far shorter than standard book chapters, so the writer will need more of them. Whereas a typical 80,000 word novel might be expected to contain 20 to 40 chapters, an epistolary novel might need well over a hundred documents to achieve the same length.

What is the benefits of an epistolary novel?

The advantages of the novel in letter form are that it presents an intimate view of the character’s thoughts and feelings without interference from the author and that it conveys the shape of events to come with dramatic immediacy.

What is an example of a epistolary novel?

Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purpl, is a good example of an epistolary novel in which an impoverished black teenage girl, Celie, tells her story through writing letters to both her sister and God. Here, readers can learn about the difficult life of Celie through her words and the direct experiences she has faced.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of an epistolary novel?

Epistolary Style: Pros and Cons March 22, 2014

  • Pro: Multiple Layers of Meaning. Most epistolary novels are told, for the most part, in first person.
  • Con: Too Many Layers of Meaning.
  • Pro: Unique Ways to Reveal Events.
  • Con: Limited Ways to Reveal Details.

Why do authors use epistolary form?

The primary function of this form of writing is to give readers an intimate view of characters’ feelings and thoughts, and develop a direct connection with the events through letters without interference of the author. This technique thus makes the literary piece a real experience for the readers.