Is the novel such a thing as a thing? Preliminary steps towards a new definition

Authors

  • Miguel Alonso Lavandero Universidad de Oviedo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_tropelias/tropelias.201953565

Keywords:

theory of the novel, genre theory, narratology

Abstract

In the first section of this paper I argue two basic notions: (1) that there is no point in searching for a general definition that can be applied to every text designated by the word “novel”, since the term does not label a single kind of things, and (2) that it does make sense, however, elaborating definitions of lesser scope that distinguish different kinds of novels while transcending the conventional, formal, and thematic categories that are usually considered when formulating a definition of the genre. Then, in the second section, I posit some points of reference that can be used to elaborate a definition of this second sort from an experientialist approach.

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Published

2019-09-30

How to Cite

Alonso Lavandero, M. (2019). Is the novel such a thing as a thing? Preliminary steps towards a new definition. Tropelías: Review of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, (5), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_tropelias/tropelias.201953565