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A '''novel''' (from French ''nouvelle'' Italian "novella", "new") is an extended, generally [[fiction]]al [[narrative]], typically in [[prose]]. Until the [[eighteenth century]], the word referred specifically to [[short fiction]]s of [[love]] and intrigue as opposed to ''[[romance (genre)|romance]]s'', which were [[epic poetry|epic]]-length works about love and [[adventure]]. Literary theory of genres has not yet managed to isolate a "single definite, stable characteristic of the novel" that holds without reservations.<ref>Bakhtin 1981, pp.8-9</ref>

A '''novel''' (from French ''nouvelle'' Italian "novella", "new") is an extended, generally [[fiction]]al [[narrative]], typically in [[prose]]. Until the [[eighteenth century]], the word referred specifically to [[short fiction]]s of [[love]] and intrigue as opposed to ''[[romance (genre)|romance]]s'', which were [[epic poetry|epic]]-length works about love and [[adventure]]. Literary theory of genres has not yet managed to isolate a "single definite, stable characteristic of the novel" that holds without reservations.

During the 18th century the novel adopted features of the old romance and became one of the major literary genres. It is today defined mostly by its ability to become the object of literary criticism demanding [[artistic merit]] and a specific 'literary' style—or specific literary styles.

During the 18th century the novel adopted features of the old romance and became one of the major literary genres. It is today defined mostly by its ability to become the object of literary criticism demanding [[artistic merit]] and a specific 'literary' style—or specific literary styles.