THE 18 TYPES OF NOVELS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS (WITH EXAMPLES) - LITERATURE - 2024

There are different types of novels according to the classification that is taken into account. According to the market for which they are intended, the novels can be commercial and literary. The first are those that are intended to produce money.

The second are those that are destined to make art. It should be noted that the two categories are not exclusive, so a work can be commercial and literary at the same time.

In other cases, the works are classified according to the veracity of the facts in fictitious and based on real life. In the former, the story is not real while in the latter the events actually happened.

Finally, novels can be classified according to their genres, into science fiction, fantasy, life dramas, psychological thriller, horror, romance, mystery, comedy, drama, biographical, epistolary, detective, dystopian, among other genres.

These types of novel will be explained below.

Types of novels according to the market

According to the reception in the market, the novels can be commercial or literary. Commercial novels are those that are intended to generate high sales.

Commercial novels are usually best sellers, a title given to the best-selling novels. For their part, literary novels are those that are closest to creating art. They are not intended to generate sales but to be accepted by the canons of literature.

It should be noted that some novels can belong to both groups: they are such important literary works that they generate great sales.

Types of novels according to the veracity of the events narrated

According to the veracity of the facts that make up the plot, the novels can be fictitious or based on real events.

Fictional novels narrate events that did not really occur, which are the product of the author's imagination. For their part, novels based on real events narrate events that really happened. In some cases, the authors take licenses and modify certain facts.

Types of novels according to genre

According to the predominant genre in the novels, these can be of various types. Here are a few.

Realistic novels

Realistic novels are intended to make the events narrated seem real. It features strong characters who thrive in an environment with real social problems and carry out everyday actions.

In this type of novel, the social structure of reality is successfully copied, which contributes to its realistic character.

An example of a realistic novel is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

Epistolary novel

Epistolary novels are those in which the story is told through various documents: letters, telegrams, diaries. The epistolary novel par excellence is composed only of letters.

Some examples of epistolary novels are "The Perks of Being Invisible" by Stephen Chbosky, "Love Letters to the Dead" by Ava Dellaira, "The Color Purple" and "Bridget Jones's Diary" by Alice Walker.

Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is an example of an epistolary novel that includes not only letters but also diaries, telegrams, phonograph transcriptions, and newspaper articles.

Historical novels

As the name implies, historical novels narrate events from the past. For a novel to be considered historical, the events narrated must belong to a period prior to the one being written.

A novel written in the year 1800 set in the year 1799 is not historical because it belongs to the same period in which it was written.

Historical novels can be both fictional and based on real events. In the first case, the author simply takes the historical setting and includes his own characters.

In the second case, the author tries to recreate historical events, transforming real-life people into characters from his novel.

An example of the first case is “The name of the rose” by Umberto Eco. An example of the second case is the saga “Los Reyes Malditos”.

Autobiographical novel

Autobiographical novels are those that reveal information about the author's life. The writer includes elements of his life and mixes them with the plot of the novel.

Some examples of this genre are "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, "The Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison and "David Copperfield" and "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens.

Training novels

In the training novels, the emotional and psychological evolution of a character is worked on. It comes from the German bildungsgroman which is literally translated as "novel of education or growth."

In this type of novels, three stages are usually distinguished: youth, pilgrimage and improvement. The novel can narrate the entire life of a character or only a period of it.

JD Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" is an example of a training novel. Other examples of training novels are "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brönte, "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann and "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens.

Science fiction novels

Science fiction novels are based on technological elements, showing advances in this field. Science fiction novels propose alternative worlds that answer the question "what if…?".

For example: What would happen if aliens conquered Earth? What if human beings were forced to leave Earth? What if you could travel to the past?

Some examples of science fiction novels are "The Time Machine" and "War of the Worlds" by HG Wells, "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card and "The Diamond Age: An Illustrated Handbook for Young Ladies" by Neal Stephenson.

Dystopian novels

Dystopian novels are those in which a futuristic, technologically advanced society is presented.

This society is perfect in appearance, however, it hides a large number of problems that will be shown throughout the novel. They are also known as "anti-utopian" because they are opposed to utopia (the perfect place).

All dystopian novels are science fiction novels, since they present technologically advanced societies.

Some examples of dystopian novels are "1984" by George Orwell, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, and "Do Androids Dream of Mechanical Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.

Utopian novels

Unlike dystopian novels, utopian novels present societies that are completely perfect.

The most outstanding example of a utopian novel is “Utopia” by Thomas Moore, who coined the term utopia from two Greek words u and topos, which literally translate as “nowhere”.

Other examples of utopian novels are "New Atlantis" by Sir Francis Bacon, "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe and "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift.

Fantasy novels

Fantasy novels include imaginary worlds, just like science fiction novels and dystopian novels. However, the central theme in these novels is magic. They can include witches, sorceresses, fairies, among others.

Some examples of fantasy novels are the “Harry Potter” saga by JK Rowling, the “Lord of the Rings” saga by JRR Tolkien, the “Narnia” saga by CS Lewis, the “The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas” saga Flamel ”by Michael Scott and“ Peter Pan ”by James Barry.

Detective novels

In detective novels, the protagonist is a member of the police, a private detective or an investigator trying to solve a crime.

Some examples of detective novels are Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason, "The Mystery of the Blue Train" and other works by Agatha Christie, the novels and short stories of Arthur Conan Doyle starring Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

Pulp fiction novels

Pulp fiction novels refer to a type of printing typical of the 20th century that was very economical and, therefore, favored the mass consumption of these texts. This type of novels gave rise to other genres, such as detective and science fiction.

Some examples of these novels are "The Call of Cthulhu" by Howard Phillip Lovecraft, "Tarzan and the Apes" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, "The Curse of Capistrano" by Johnston McCulley (whose protagonist is the Fox).

Horror novels

Horror novels narrate events that seek to generate fear in the reader. Some examples of horror novels are "The Shining" by Stephen King and "In the Crypt" by Howard Phillip Lovecraft.

Mistery novels

Mystery novels often focus on a crime (usually murder), which must be solved by the characters.

In this sense, it is related to detective novels. It should be noted that all detective novels are mystery novels, but not all mystery novels are detective.

An example of a mystery novel is "The name of the rose" by Umberto Eco and "The girl on the train."

Gothic novels

Gothic novels include supernatural, terrifying, and mysterious elements. The topics covered are usually death, decadence and the inevitability of tragedy.

It is usually set in old castles, old buildings, haunted houses and ruined churches.

The most outstanding Gothic novels are "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, "Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley, "The Vampire" by John William Polidori, "The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole and "The Monk" by Matthew G. Lewis,

Cowboy novels

Westerns, also called cowboy novels, are a type of novel that is usually set in the far west of the United States. This is why they are called westerns (in English, west means west).

Usually these novels narrate events that took place in the 19th century. It includes elements such as cowboys, Native Americans, the struggle between natives and settlers, life on the ranches of the west, local justice, among others.

Some examples of cowboy novels are "The Virginian" by Owen Wister, "The Heart of the West" by O. Henry, "The West" and "Arizona Nights" by Stewart Edward White.

Picaresque novels

The picaresque novels are those that narrate the adventures of an antihero or an antiheroine, who fall into this category for not following the customs of the time.

The protagonists are rogues. This means that they are cunning, rascal, with a tendency towards bad life.

The picaresque novel arises in Spain, in the Golden Age. It is considered that the first novel of this genre is "El lazarillo de Tormes" (1564). However, it was the works of Mateo Alemán that made the genre popular.

In picaresque novels, elements of 16th century daily life are included, for example: pastoral life.

The object of the picaresque novel is to criticize the customs of the time through satire. This type of novel can invite reflection about morality, however, this is not the primary purpose of them.

Some examples of picaresque novels are "The life of the Buscón" by Quevedo and "The ingenious hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha".

Satirical novels

Satirical novels are those that seek to ridicule a particular element to provoke a change of opinion in the reader or at least a reaction.

Satirical novels show the opinion of the author regarding a particular situation and, generally, propose an alternative that could improve that situation.

Some examples of satirical novels are George Orwell's "Farm Rebellion," Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" and Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Allegorical novels

Allegorical novels are those in which the story is used to refer to another situation. In this sense, the plot of the novel has a symbolic meaning beyond the words narrated.

Allegorical novels generally include religious, historical, social, political, or philosophical critiques and reflections.

Some examples of allegorical novels are "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding (social criticism), "The Chronicles of Narnia" by CS Lewis (religious reflection) and "Rebellion on the farm" by George Orwell (socio-political criticism).

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