Epistolary Novel

"Epistolary novel is a sub-genre of the novel which relates the plot in first-person narration using letters of correspondence as its medium" (Klarer 138).

According to Encyclopaedia Britanica, "epistolary novel is a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters.” It relies on subjective points of view. The novel in letter form can present an intimate view of the characters’ mind and their feelings without interference from the author and the plot told in this way has dramatic immediacy ("Epistolary novel"). 

One of the most popular and influential authors of epistolary novels is Samuel Richardson. His novel Pamela (also known as Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded) was published in 1740. It tells a story a servant girl and a man who attempts to seduce her and when he fails, he marries her.  Clarissa is another epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in instalments in 1747–48. The novel is told mainly in letters of Clarissa Harlowe, a middle-class young woman, and her aristocratic seducer Lovelace, though there are many more correspondents throughout the novel ("Pamela", "Clarissa").

Dangerous Liaisons (Les Liaisons dangereuses) by Pierre de Laclos was first published in 1782. Written in epistolary form, it deals with the seducer Valmont and his accomplice, Madame de Merteuil. Both take great pleasure in manipulating others, and they delight in their victims’ great misery. This novel is considered as an early example of psychological novel ("Dangerous Liaisons").

Epistolary novel became less popular later on, though many works keep using at least in part its method and readers experience the story through letters, journals or diaries of their characters, or they present events of the story in newspaper clippings or other documents.

In recent works and media, authors started to make use of texts and posts on social media in their work. One such example is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012), which is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set in present-day California. The story is presented from Lizzie’s point of view and narrated almost exclusively through her video blogs. The story is accompanied by other character’s fictional social media accounts.

Works Cited:

"Dangerous Liaisons." Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dangerous-Liaisons-novel-by-Laclos. Accessed 19 Oct. 2024.

"Clarissa." https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clarissa-novel-by-Richardson. Accessed 19 Oct. 2024.

"Epistolary novel." Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/epistolary-novel. Accessed 19 Oct. 2024.

Klarer, Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies. E-book, Routledge, 2004.

"Pamela." Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pamela-novel-by-Richardson. Accessed 19 Oct. 2024.

Author: Jana Pěnčíková, 537524