The Novel; what it is

"The Novel; what it is" by F. Marion Crawford is a critical exploration of the novel as an art form. Published in the late 19th century, this essay sees the novel as an "intellectual artistic luxury," whose main job is to entertain readers and not to push some kind of lesson or moral views. Crawford speaks against novels that try to teach or solve social problems, saying that doing do takes away from the fun and escape that fiction should provide. Crawford looks at the different characteristics of both realistic and romantic writing, and argues that novels should balance both to create stories that are both interesting and emotionally powerful. This essay shows the issues writers had in a world that was changing quickly, encouraging them to create work that connected with the complications of being human, but in a way that didn’t become too instructive.