Novella
A novella is a
narrative prose fiction that occupies a middle ground between the short story
and the novel. The term originates from the Italian novella, meaning “a
little new thing”. A novella concentrates on a single event, character, or
conflict. It maintains the unity and intensity of a short story while providing
more development of character and theme. The structure of a novella is compact
and unified, with a deliberate focus on economy of design and precision of
style. It often presents a crisis or turning point in the protagonist’s life,
exploring its psychological or moral implications. Notable examples include
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899), which explores imperialism and
human corruption; Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (1915), a
psychological allegory of alienation; and Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice
(1912), which examines aesthetic obsession and decay. M. H. Abrams classifies novellas,
including the realistic novella, which depicts lifelike situations and
characters; the psychological novella, which delves into mental and
emotional experiences; and the symbolic or allegorical novella, which
uses metaphor to express philosophical or moral ideas. Because of its length
and focus, the novella is especially suited to conveying intense emotions and
complex ideas within a concise framework. Thus, the novella remains a vital
literary form that captures both the precision of art and the breadth of human
experience.
Novel
According to M. H. Abrams in A
Glossary of Literary Terms, a novel is a long prose narrative that depicts
fictional characters and events in a coherent plot. It offers a comprehensive
portrayal of human life and experience. It differs from shorter narrative forms
like the short story or novella in both length and complexity. A novel allows
extensive character development, subplots, and social commentary. The novel as
a literary form emerged in the early eighteenth century, with works such as
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Samuel Richardson’s Pamela
(1740). A novel’s flexibility enables it to encompass a vast range of
themes—romantic, social, historical, psychological, and philosophical. There
are several types of novels. Each type is defined by its focus or narrative
method. The “picaresque novel” (e.g., Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones)
follows the adventures of a roguish hero through a series of episodes. The “epistolary
novel” (e.g., Richardson’s Clarissa) unfolds through letters. The “historical
novel” (e.g., Walter Scott’s Waverley) blends history and imagination.
The “Gothic novel” (e.g., Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) explores mystery,
horror, and the supernatural. The “stream-of-consciousness novel” (e.g., James
Joyce’s Ulysses) presents the inner flow of thoughts and sensations of
the characters. Further important subgenres include the “novel of manners” like
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which portrays social conventions and
class behavior. The “Bildungsroman” or “novel of growth” traces the moral and
psychological development of a protagonist from youth to maturity, as seen in The
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. A “Künstlerroman” novel focuses on
the growth of an artist or writer as in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the
Artist as a Young Man. The “regional novel”, like Thomas Hardy’s Far
from the Madding Crowd, vividly represents the customs, dialects, and
landscape of a specific locality. Through
such diverse forms, a novel serves as a mirror of society, a vehicle of moral
reflection, and a space for psychological and philosophical exploration.
