Realistic fiction novel: what it is, how it arises, characteristics and important works

What is the realistic fiction novel?

In this type of literature we speak of all those texts that, although they are stories produced by the author’s imagination, the scenario in which it develops is realistic. In this way, we speak of a work that contains real, believable characters, along with plots and environments that enjoy the same notion for the reading public.

Often the focus of these stories revolves around themes that relate to the reader, according to their time and context. However, many of them may have stories that are depicted in the past or in the present, it is precisely this aspect that allows it to connect with readers, as it connects to a time period close to it in varied aspects such as technology, dialect, themes, areas, etc.

How did the realistic fiction novel arise?

The origin of the realistic fiction novel is considered to take place in one of the most important literary movements in this artistic field, Literary Realism, which developed during the 19th century. Prior to the flowering of the movement, the aspiration was to reach a writing with a dramatic air, so they try an approach that detonates in the production of unreal and in many cases romantic works.

The ideal of these authors was to reach a literary creation with a literary language, a good level of diction and formal features. Thus, they consolidated a movement that managed to modify the literary style that was being developed at the time, through a literary creation that introduced everyday events within the narratives, in which the characters were real, an important axis of approach to the portrait of their reality.

Development of realistic fiction texts

Although they are often texts in the narrative genre, especially in the novel, the truth is that there are also experts who have classified some works of this modality within the short story genre. In general, the author pursues the narrative genre in order to establish a story inspired or not by real life events that are credible to readers.

Particularly, we speak of works that portray everyday life from a set of attainable elements and that come into contact with the readers, either by the character of the protagonists, the characters themselves, the events, the themes, the social and/or cultural conditions, etc.

Characteristics of the realistic fiction novel

It is time to go on to review fundamental characteristics that have to do with the development of works that belong to this type of literature and that lay the foundations of creation for authors who want to navigate the same waters. In this sense, we find the following features:

Variety of themes

Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of this type of texts has to do with the great variety of options, in terms of subject matter, that authors can develop within the creations. That is why we can find a very wide range of stories in realistic fiction novels. However, the themes proposed are often relevant to the intended reader with themes of self-discovery, the search for justice versus social issues, etc.

Dialect of the work

One of the most important aspects of the realistic fiction novel has to do with the use of dialect, given that authors prioritize regional dialect in their works, as well as were interested in introducing realistic dialogue within the stories. Dialect and dialogue, according to their characteristics, constitute realistic fiction in its initial bases.

In this sense, the characters speak from a contemporary dialogue in which slang is present and in general, they communicate using words as their readers would use them.

Credible characters

As we mentioned, one of the crucial elements of realistic fiction novels has to do with the type of characters used. Thus, authors incorporate characters that the reader can believe in, along with a detailed description of thought that allows the reader to enter into his or her own world, which increases the realistic scope by being closer to the reader, discovered in his or her own intimacy.

Identifiable locations

Along the same lines as the use of believable characters, authors use within their works settings that readers can easily identify. This is because the mentioning of places is done in a specific way to provide the reader with all the details of the location, facilitating the interpretative construction of the environment in which the story takes place and which is usually determinant in the course of the story.

Varied tone of the works

Realistic fiction novels, besides having varied themes, also tend to have different tones in their style. Thus, it is possible that in a work of this type, the reader will find tones ranging from romance to humorous works, for example.

Accessible works

The way in which these works are written, allows them to be a set of works to which the population has easy access. It constitutes a type of accessible literature and an option for readers of a wide audience, so that both young and adult readers, from different areas of the world, will find this type of texts interesting and entertaining.

Most important works of realistic fiction

Now, among the most important and representative works of this type of texts, we find works such as the following: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Holes by Louis Sachar, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Outsiders by SE Hinton and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, among others.

If you want to continue learning more about other types of literature, as well as works, history and everything that the world of literature has for you, then do not hesitate to consult our section dedicated to this artistic expression, where we tell you much more about the world of literature and its development throughout history.