NOVEL

By: Lucy D. Lunjas

WHAT IS A NOVEL?

truncation of the Italian

word novella 
(from the plural of
Latin novellus, a late variant
of novus, meaning “new”)
The novella was a kind of enlarged anecdote
like those to be found in the 14th-century
Italian classic Boccaccio’s Decameron, each
of which exemplifies the etymology well
enough.
Novel is an invented prose narrative of
considerable length and a certain
complexity that deals imaginatively with
human experience, usually through a
connected sequence of events involving a
group of persons in a specific setting.
 WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A BOOK
AND A NOVEL?
 Basis Book Novel

A book could be anything

Novel is necessarily a book on
Definition ranging from fiction to non-
fiction
fiction.

Books can be stories, poetry, Novels are only books that

Content
workbooks, etc. contain stories.

Novelist is a person who writes

Author is person who writes
Writers the novel. Sometimes, novelists
the book.
are also called as writers.

Book is written to discuss a Novel is written to talk about a

Subject
matter or a subject. story from the start to end.

A novel has more than 40k

Number of words Not specified
words written in it.
GENRES OF
NOVEL
 MYSTERIES

A mystery is about a crime, usually a murder,

and the process of discovering who
committed it. The hero(ine) is usually a
detective or an amateur doing detective work.
 SCIENCE FICTION

is fiction that imagines possible

alternatives to reality. It is reality
+ "What-if."
 FANTASY
Like science fiction, fantasy is about
imaginary worlds. But the imaginary part of
fantasy novels usually involves magic, where
the imaginary part of science fiction involves
science or technology.
 WESTERNS
Westerns normally take place in the Western
U.S. (although sometimes in other locations),
most often during the 19th century. Common
elements include cowboys, ranchers, the
difficulties of frontier life, frontier justice,
and conflicts between natives and settlers.
 HORROR
focused on creating emotions of terror and
dread in the reader. Horror fiction often
accomplish this through the use of scary
supernatural elements or gore, but, according
to the Horror Writers Association, these
elements are not required.
 THRILLERS
designed to make the reader's pulse race, to
keep him or her turning pages. Often thrillers
are about a crime that is going to be
committed or a disaster that is going to
happen... if the hero(ine) doesn't prevent it.
 HISTORICAL
Historical novels are set in a past time period,
normally at least fifty years before they were
written. They combine a made-up story with
realistic details of that time period.
 ROMANCE
is about love and passion. Normally, the
focus is on two characters who fall in
love but have problems or obstacles
keeping them apart, and there is a happy
ending.
 FAMOUS
NOVELS
IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Noli Me Tangere
Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me
Not) is the most controversial
and widely-known – it’s
included in the current
education curriculum of
Filipino high school students.
This novel sparked the social
awakening of Filipinos during
the Spanish colonial era.
■ Historical criticism

■ Mimetic criticism

■ Marxist criticism
Mga Ibong Mandaragit 
(Birds of Prey)
 written by Filipino writer and social activist,
Amado V. Hernandez.
 tackles social-political issues, particularly
Philippine revolution and neocolonialism, it
has a connection to Rizal’s earlier novels
– Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo.
Po-on A Novel
Po-on A Novel is the first book in the Rosales
Saga, which tells stories about Rosales,
Pangasinan in the Philippines. The story of
Eustaqio “Istak” Samson who abandoned his
family to join the rebel forces and escape the
cruelty of Spanish authorities. The other four
books in the saga are: Tree, My Brother, My
Executioner, The Pretenders, and Mass.
Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to
Full Light)
■ Lope K. Santos
■ has been dubbed the ‘bible of the Filipino working
class.’ 
■ The novel narrates the story between Delfin and Felipe
who have contrasting views. Delfin is a socialist
whereas Felipe, despite being the son of a rich
landowner, leans towards anarchism. Throughout the
narrative, themes of love, livelihood, and societal
status are embedded.
Dekada ‘70
by: Lualhati Bautista
■ Lualhati Bautista has captured true-to-life scenarios in
the ’70s, mentioning changes that arose after the Plaza
Miranda bombing and the suspension of the Writ of
Habeas Corpus in the Philippines. The novel tells the
story of lead protagonist Amanda Bartolome and her
family, where she had to deal with facing the law and
her responsibilities towards her five sons.
Smaller and Smaller Circles
by: F.H. Batacan
The mystery novel revolves around two Jesuit priests
named Gus Saenz and Jerome Lucero who happen to
perform forensic work. There have been murders of
young boys in the slum area of Payatas. As The novel
explores themes that deal with the corruption and
inefficiency in the government, they hope to uncover the
mysterious murderer behind the serial killings
in Manila‘s slum area.
 References
Valdeavilla, R. (2018). The 10 best books in Philippine literature.
Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/authors/ronica-valdeavilla/

Types of novels and which one you should write (2019).

Retrieved from https://www.creative-writing-now.com/types-of-
novels

Burgess, A. (2020). Novel. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/art/novel

Carlson, A. (2019). Difference between book and novel.

Retrieved from https:// www.difference.wiki/book-vs-novel
THANK YOU!