Q465821

Epistolary Novel Books and Works List

Epistolary Novel Books and Works List

An epistolary novel () is a novel written as a series of letters between the fictional characters of a narrative. The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse other kinds of fictional document 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. 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 (see epistle). 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.

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  1. 2
    Dracula
    2649081
    698978
  2. 3
    Flowers for Algernon
    1548018
    526770
  3. 4
    The Color Purple
    1406249
    353502
  4. 5
    House of Leaves
    1151552
    454466
  5. 8
    Carrie
    515249
    205370
  6. 9
    The Turner Diaries
    442146
    168776
  7. 12
    Daddy-Long-Legs
    264786
    91046
  8. 13
    Cloud Atlas
    263354
    94014
  9. 16
    Memoirs of Hadrian
    199350
    35312
  10. 20
    Persian Letters
    148888
    26884
  11. 21
    The Moonstone
    145502
    27980
  12. 22
    The White Tiger
    143213
    5020
  13. 23
    The Prestige
    141551
    3972
  14. 27
    Gilead
    110151
    8002
  15. 30
    Clarissa
    96638
    33522
  16. 31
    Lady Susan
    94986
    33276
  17. 36
    Myra Breckinridge
    59480
    23578
  18. 37
    Hyperion
    57383
    19158
  19. 38
    The Historian
    56666
    20488
  20. 39
    Z for Zachariah
    52625
    1134
  21. 42
    Ella Minnow Pea
    45858
    16212
  22. 43
    Aztec
    43302
    17240
  23. 45
    Any Human Heart
    42406
    10350
  24. 46
    Evelina
    40422
    13706
  25. 47
    Doctor Glas
    39681
    6922
 
 

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