A novel is a long work of fictional prose that is usually between 30,000 to 100,000 words. It portrays characters and their development through a sequential narrative. The modern novel originated from the Italian novella in the late 13th century and is often classified by genre. The origins of the European novel can be traced back to ancient Greek works from the 2nd century BC.

1. Novel as a form of literature

2. Introduction A novel is a long narrative in literary prose. a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes.

3. Extended fictional prose narrative, usually between 30,000 and 100,000 words in length, that deals imaginatively with human experience through the psychological development of the central characters and their relationship with a broader world. The modern novel took its name and inspiration from the Italian novella, the short tale of varied character which became popular in the late 13th century..

4. As the main form of narrative fiction in the 20th century, the novel is frequently classified according to genres and subgenres such as the historical novel, detective fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. The construction of the narrative, the plot, the way reality is created in the work of fiction, the fascination of the character study, and the use of language are usually discussed to show a novel's artistic merits.

5. Origins The European novel is said to have originated in Greece in the 2nd century BC. Ancient Greek examples include the Daphnis and Chloë of Longus; almost the only surviving Latin work that could be called a novel is the Golden Ass of Apuleius (late 2nd century), based on a Greek model.

6. There is a similar, but (until the 19th century) independent, tradition of prose narrative including psychological development in the Far East, notably in Japan, with, for example, the 11th-century Tale of Genji by MurasakiShikibu.