Do you know what Epistolary Fiction refers to? I didn’t know what that meant until recently. Epistolary Fiction refers to fiction written in correspondences, or letters. The eighteenth and nineteenth century saw the rise of epistolary fiction as travelling became more common and so did correspondences. Some scholars regard the Epistolary style to be exclusive for female writers as a means of expression in their oppressed eras. In the twentieth century, however, this style is used by both male and female authors. The scope of Epistolary Fiction may sometimes also includes Diary Fiction – as the name suggests, novels written in the style of a diary or journal (e.g. Bridget Jones’ Diary).
Below are some contemporary epistolary fiction titles for your perusal:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher: New York : Pocket Books, c1999
Call No.: English CHB
We need to talk about Kevin : a novel
Author: Lionel Shriver
Publisher: New York : Perennial 2004
Call No.: English SHR
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer
Publisher: London : Bloomsbury, 2008
Call No.: English SHA
Ella Minnow Pea : a progressively lipogrammatic epistolary fable
Author: Mark Dunn
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : MacAdam/Cage Pub., 2001
Call No.: English DUN
Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Author: Fannie Flagg
Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, 2000, c1987
Call No.: English FLA
From A to X: A Story in Letters
Author: John Berger
Publisher: London ; New York : Verso, 2008
Call No.: English BER
The White Tiger
Author: Aravind Adiga
Publisher: London : Atlantic Books, 2008
Call No.: English ADI
Wan Ni just read …
The Solitude of Prime Numbers
Author: Paolo Giordano
Publisher: New York : Penguin Books, 2011, c2009
Call No.: English GIO
Touted as the more adult version of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time, Solitude tells the tale of mathematically-inclined Mattia and his classmate Alice. Both misfits in their worlds, they seek solace in destructive ways. Their common ennui brought them together, but only to be separated later. I felt that this novel managed to convey the sense of haunting loneliness and the different coping mechanisms employed in desperate times. It does not have the mildly cheery and ironic tone of The Curious Incident; but the larger premise is the same – the attempt of a mathematical mind seeking a sense of belonging in the random world.
All images featured are copyright of their respective publishers.
Contributed by Lo Wan Ni, Associate Librarian, Public Libraries Singapore
2 comments
Pat says:
Apr 8, 2012
Thanks for the interesting post — I am inspired to search for the recommended titles at the library. Incidentally, I read ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’ back in the 1990s, but I have totally forgotten that it is written in epistolary style.
For a literary (re)imagining of non-fictional characters, check out the epistolary novel ‘I Never Came to You in White’ (by Judith Farr, first published 1996). Here, the life of the renowned American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) is retold in a series of intimate letters. (Farr is a distinguished Emily Dickinson scholar who has also published several authoritative literary guides on the poet.)
I suppose I distinctly recall the epistolary style of the above-mentioned novel, because the real Dickinson herself was a prolific letter-writer who penned more than 1,000 letters to her family, friends & confidantes throughout her otherwise physically-reclusive lifetime.
I borrowed a hardback copy of the novel from one of NLB’s public libraries some 10 years ago. Unfortunately, based on NLB’s current records, this title appeared to have been removed from circulation.
A famous example of epistolary diary fiction not mentioned in the above post is surely Sue Townsend’s laugh-out-loud ‘Adrian Mole’ series. My favourite is ‘Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years’ (first published 2009) — which turned out to be unexpectedly poignant (… well, who would’ve thought a comedic novel would bring melancholic tears to one’s eyes !) For those interested, this memorable title is widely available at several NLB’s libraries.
Wan Ni says:
Apr 13, 2012
Oh yes the Adrian Mole series! It slipped my mind. Thanks for your input!