Classic Novels owe its reputation to the genuine topics and a unique linguistic style which the readers always admire and love to read. A novel is a comprehensive and imaginary prose work, usually narrating a tale. The word ‘Novel' had its origin from the Italian word “Novella”, which means "a story or a piece of news”. However, novels can no longer be described merely as ‘a piece of news'. Ever since its inception, novels are being written extensively on assorted topics. This diverse nature of novels can no longer be restricted within the limits of any definition.
It was in the Romantic era, that the first English novel appeared. However, the 19th century saw the emergence of novel as an important form of English literature. In fact, the 18 th century Victorian age was dominated by some of the famous Classic Novels , like:
- Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre
- Elizabeth Gaskell - Wives and Daughters
- George Eliot – The Mill on the Floss
- Charles Dickens - David Copperfield
- Leo Tolstoy – Anne Karenina
- D. H. Lawrence – Lady Chatterley's Lover
- Thomas Hardy – The Mayor of Casterbridge
- Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice
- William Thackeray – Vanity Fair
- Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe
- Emily Bronte – Wuthering Heights
- Mark Twain - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment
- Margaret Mitchell – Gone With the Wind
What makes these Classic Novels so different from other literary genres ?
- The plots of the Classic Novels are lengthy, having frequent linguistic twists
- Intricacy of language is one of the distinctive features of Classic Novels
- The credibility of Classic Novels lies in its authentic storylines; the plots reflect actual social situations of that time
- The character portrayals are very idealistic, in which the virtuous are rewarded at the end and the evil-doers are duly punished
- The storyline of Classic Novels are usually followed by a moral lesson towards the conclusion
- Classical Novels generally deal with serious and dismal topics
- Stark realism is what the Classical Novels depict; the harsh real-life situations expel all charms and parody from the plot
- Authors of Classic Novels attack the prevailing traditions and social conditions of the times in their works
The popularity of these
Classical Novels will never go down; rather it would be carried forward in future. The themes and style they deal with are exclusive that will always hold the reader's interest.
