ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero, London: Bradbury & Evans, 1853, without illustration. Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero, Vols.

Detailed explanation-2: -The novel originated in the early 18th century after the Italian word “novella, ” which was used for stories in the medieval period. Its identity has evolved and it is now considered to mean a work of prose fiction over 50, 000 words. Novels focus on character development more than plot.

Detailed explanation-3: -The first novel is usually credited to be Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe which was first published in 1719 (Lee). The novel is about a man, Crusoe, who spent 28 years on a deserted island and the adventures in which he encountered while on the island.

Detailed explanation-4: -It was in the Victorian era (1837–1901) that the novel became the leading literary genre in English. A number of women novelists were successful in the 19th century, although they often had to use a masculine pseudonym.