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Does the term 'epistolary' apply only to novels, or can it be applied to works read as factual, e.g., the Bible? 76.180.120.161 06:15, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
What about Robinson Caruso? The novel is told as a series of diary entries. If it is a valid example, it seems worthwhile to include it in the article simple because it is a work many people are familiar with.
It seems to me that epistolary novels are not "rare" in modern times. It may not be the most popular form of novel, but it still has a strong presence. Therefore, I edited that line. Jennifu 23:15, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
Does The Screwtape Letters count, even though we only see the letters from ONE of the pair of correspondents? --Ed
Yes. If it uses any sort of letters, journal entries, or articles to tell the story, it is an epistolary novel. --Misha-chan
Okay, so why is it important to note that no epistolary novel has been done in the form of taxes? I'm sure there's a whole world of ways to write an epistolary novel that have never been attempted, so why metion this one? To me it seems a bit silly, so I'm taking it out. I'm a bit shy, because I'm new, so that's why I even mention it. Benji 07:19, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)
I seem to recall from a college seminar that the form either originated or was repopularized by one of Montesquieu's works -- The Persian Letters or some such thing? Anyone recall the title, if I am correct, and if it would be worth mentioning here? Thanks, Jwrosenzweig 23:13, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
What set of concepts would "Epistolary novel" and "Omnicient narrator" both be part of? What other types of storytelling might also be part of the set? matturn 12:13, 21 January 2006 (UTC)
This page has basically become a list, where anyone who has read such a novel goes, "Oohh! I know another one!" and enters it in. It's not very encyclopedic, as it addresses a largely arbitrary scattering of examples needlessly while not even really delving into the subteties of the genre itself. Amber388 14:36, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
Would the Griffin and Sabine trilogy by Nick Bantock be considered "epistolary novels"? (I don't know; I'm just asking.)
What about Mark Danielewski's House Of Leaves? Does it conform to this format somehow? 203.87.224.222 ( talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 05:45, 5 February 2009 (UTC).
I think that the statement "Often, narrators of epistolary fiction are somewhat untrustworthy or biased" should be backed up by citation or argument. MrSerif 13:25, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
Why are Frankenstein and Dracula singled out for disapproval? Consider these quotes from the entry:
- "Her "hotchpotch" of a story strains the limits of the epistolary form, involves the letter in murder most foul and undermines the effectiveness of the letter medium itself."
- "While the novel draws on the epistolary form, by the end of the story it reduces it, along with other media, to a monstrous "mass of typewriting"."
Neither comment is credited, and they certainly don't seem to conform to neutral PoV. Mr0s3n ( talk) 17:18, 4 August 2008 (UTC)
What is the point about Agatha Christie. Certainly most of her novels are not epistolary: there may be examples of course but they are not the classics. I guess Roger Ackroyd has a malevolent narrator, but so what, it's written as a book not a diary or sequence of letters. Could somebody clarify the point here or just delete the reference. -- 138.251.209.181 ( talk) 12:54, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
I've cracked on this - I'm deleting this sentence as i don't believe it. Somebody can of course put it back and maybe cite the evidence or add to the discussion here -- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:11, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
Most of the modern examples (except Alice Walker) are NOT in the list of contemporary epistolary novels. They should be (or they should not be here). Also the ones selected for this page don't seem special in any particular way. I suggest that contemporary (maybe post 1970?) novels be mentioned only in the list on the other page. -- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:16, 28 January 2008 (UTC)-- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:16, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
The founder of the epistolary novel in English is said by many to be James Howell(1594-1666) with "Familiar Letters", who writes of prison, foreign adventure, and the love of women.
Source for this? I don't think "is said by many" cuts it... G. 117.92.147.242 ( talk) 15:00, 21 July 2009 (UTC)
Hello, I'm working with OCLC, and we are algorithmically generating data about different Genres, like notable Authors, Book, Movies, Subjects, Characters and Places. We have determined that this Wikipedia page has a close affintity to our detected Genere of epistolary-fiction. It might be useful to look at [1] for more information. Thanks. Maximilianklein ( talk) 23:10, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
We've gone back to the problem Amber388 raised in 2006: "This page has basically become a list, where anyone who has read such a novel goes, "Oohh! I know another one!" and enters it in." This is even less justifiable since now we have a separate list article. 128.148.231.34 ( talk) 14:49, 16 December 2018 (UTC)
Removed the claim (present since 2005) that any novel composed of documents is an epistolary; it is unsourced and other encyclopedias do not appear to mention it as a caveat, e.g. [Britannica]( https://www.britannica.com/art/epistolary-novel). Added some weasel words to nod in that direction, though, because it clearly is a fuzzy boundary and I didn't want to imply sharp lines or high confidence. -- 2601:643:867F:6EB0:4DE7:5880:9906:71DC ( talk) 19:29, 7 June 2022 (UTC)
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Does the term 'epistolary' apply only to novels, or can it be applied to works read as factual, e.g., the Bible? 76.180.120.161 06:15, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
What about Robinson Caruso? The novel is told as a series of diary entries. If it is a valid example, it seems worthwhile to include it in the article simple because it is a work many people are familiar with.
It seems to me that epistolary novels are not "rare" in modern times. It may not be the most popular form of novel, but it still has a strong presence. Therefore, I edited that line. Jennifu 23:15, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
Does The Screwtape Letters count, even though we only see the letters from ONE of the pair of correspondents? --Ed
Yes. If it uses any sort of letters, journal entries, or articles to tell the story, it is an epistolary novel. --Misha-chan
Okay, so why is it important to note that no epistolary novel has been done in the form of taxes? I'm sure there's a whole world of ways to write an epistolary novel that have never been attempted, so why metion this one? To me it seems a bit silly, so I'm taking it out. I'm a bit shy, because I'm new, so that's why I even mention it. Benji 07:19, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)
I seem to recall from a college seminar that the form either originated or was repopularized by one of Montesquieu's works -- The Persian Letters or some such thing? Anyone recall the title, if I am correct, and if it would be worth mentioning here? Thanks, Jwrosenzweig 23:13, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
What set of concepts would "Epistolary novel" and "Omnicient narrator" both be part of? What other types of storytelling might also be part of the set? matturn 12:13, 21 January 2006 (UTC)
This page has basically become a list, where anyone who has read such a novel goes, "Oohh! I know another one!" and enters it in. It's not very encyclopedic, as it addresses a largely arbitrary scattering of examples needlessly while not even really delving into the subteties of the genre itself. Amber388 14:36, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
Would the Griffin and Sabine trilogy by Nick Bantock be considered "epistolary novels"? (I don't know; I'm just asking.)
What about Mark Danielewski's House Of Leaves? Does it conform to this format somehow? 203.87.224.222 ( talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 05:45, 5 February 2009 (UTC).
I think that the statement "Often, narrators of epistolary fiction are somewhat untrustworthy or biased" should be backed up by citation or argument. MrSerif 13:25, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
Why are Frankenstein and Dracula singled out for disapproval? Consider these quotes from the entry:
- "Her "hotchpotch" of a story strains the limits of the epistolary form, involves the letter in murder most foul and undermines the effectiveness of the letter medium itself."
- "While the novel draws on the epistolary form, by the end of the story it reduces it, along with other media, to a monstrous "mass of typewriting"."
Neither comment is credited, and they certainly don't seem to conform to neutral PoV. Mr0s3n ( talk) 17:18, 4 August 2008 (UTC)
What is the point about Agatha Christie. Certainly most of her novels are not epistolary: there may be examples of course but they are not the classics. I guess Roger Ackroyd has a malevolent narrator, but so what, it's written as a book not a diary or sequence of letters. Could somebody clarify the point here or just delete the reference. -- 138.251.209.181 ( talk) 12:54, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
I've cracked on this - I'm deleting this sentence as i don't believe it. Somebody can of course put it back and maybe cite the evidence or add to the discussion here -- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:11, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
Most of the modern examples (except Alice Walker) are NOT in the list of contemporary epistolary novels. They should be (or they should not be here). Also the ones selected for this page don't seem special in any particular way. I suggest that contemporary (maybe post 1970?) novels be mentioned only in the list on the other page. -- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:16, 28 January 2008 (UTC)-- 81.178.208.211 ( talk) 16:16, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
The founder of the epistolary novel in English is said by many to be James Howell(1594-1666) with "Familiar Letters", who writes of prison, foreign adventure, and the love of women.
Source for this? I don't think "is said by many" cuts it... G. 117.92.147.242 ( talk) 15:00, 21 July 2009 (UTC)
Hello, I'm working with OCLC, and we are algorithmically generating data about different Genres, like notable Authors, Book, Movies, Subjects, Characters and Places. We have determined that this Wikipedia page has a close affintity to our detected Genere of epistolary-fiction. It might be useful to look at [1] for more information. Thanks. Maximilianklein ( talk) 23:10, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
We've gone back to the problem Amber388 raised in 2006: "This page has basically become a list, where anyone who has read such a novel goes, "Oohh! I know another one!" and enters it in." This is even less justifiable since now we have a separate list article. 128.148.231.34 ( talk) 14:49, 16 December 2018 (UTC)
Removed the claim (present since 2005) that any novel composed of documents is an epistolary; it is unsourced and other encyclopedias do not appear to mention it as a caveat, e.g. [Britannica]( https://www.britannica.com/art/epistolary-novel). Added some weasel words to nod in that direction, though, because it clearly is a fuzzy boundary and I didn't want to imply sharp lines or high confidence. -- 2601:643:867F:6EB0:4DE7:5880:9906:71DC ( talk) 19:29, 7 June 2022 (UTC)