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EPISTOLARY NOVELS Books made of letters!

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Page 1: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

EPISTOLARY NOVELSBooks made of letters!

Page 2: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

EPISTOLARY NOVEL

A Novel written as a series of documents Letters Diary entries Newspaper clippings Blogs Emails

Page 3: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

WHY?

Realism Verisimilitude (seems like truth) Mimics the workings of real life

Page 4: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

EARLY WORKS

San Pedro, Diego. ~1485. Cárcel de amor (“Prison of Love”).

Boursalt, Edme. 1669. Lettres de respect, d'obligation et d 'amour (Letters of Respect, Gratitude and Love.)

Howell, James. 1666. Familiar Letters.

Page 5: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

HEIGHT OF POPULARITY –LATE 17TH - EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Behn, Aphra. 1684.Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and his Sister.

Richardson, Samuel. 1740. Pamela. Richardson, Samuel. 1749. Clarissa.

Page 6: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

SATIRE: LETS MAKE FUN OF THIS!

Epistolary style was mocked (heavily) in the 18th Century. (remember satire was BIG!)

Henry Fielding’s Shamela (1741)

Page 7: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

SO… WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) uses

letters, diaries, newspapers

Page 8: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

SO… WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE Stephen King’s Carrie (1974) uses

newspapers, magazine articles, letters, and excerpts from books.

Page 9: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

SO… WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE Alice WalkerThe Color Purple

(1974) uses letters.

Page 10: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO FRANKENSTEIN?

The beginning and end of Frankenstein are written as letters between Captain Robert Walton and his sister Margaret Walton Saville.

Page 11: Books made of letters!.  A Novel written as a series of documents  Letters  Diary entries  Newspaper clippings  Blogs  Emails

THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK THE CLASS What other movies, TV shows, music,

videos, books, magazines, etc., can you think of that are in this style?

Do you like this style of writing? Why or why not?

Have you ever heard the word “epistolary” before? If so, where?