Novel sequence

In literature, there are some recognisable types of novel sequence. This term, within literary fiction, is usually applied to a coherent collection of novels each having its own title, and in principle consisting of free-standing stories that can be read independently — as opposed to a multi-volume single novel.

Related Topics:
Literature - Literary fiction

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The degree of organisation varies greatly. For example the Barchester novels of Anthony Trollope are only loosely related, although they contain a recurring cast of characters; his political novels about the Pallisers have a rather tighter connection and dynamic. A strict definition might exclude both.

Related Topics:
Barchester - Anthony Trollope - Pallisers

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Authors have been increasingly self-conscious over the years, in providing such structure, for example by announcing an overall series title, or by writing in round numbers such as 12 volumes. It might be debated whether a trilogy counts. For an early example, there are five Leatherstocking Tales in the sequence by Fenimore Cooper. In genre fiction this extension of a setting and story line has become standard.

Related Topics:
Trilogy - Leatherstocking Tales - Fenimore Cooper - Genre fiction

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The roman-fleuve (French, literally "river-novel") refers to an extended sequence of novels of which the whole acts as a commentary for a society or an epoch, and which continually deals with a central character, community or a saga within a family. The river metaphor implies a steady, broad dynamic lending itself to a perspective. Each volume makes up a complete novel by itself, but the entire cycle exhibits a unity.

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Famous examples includes Honoré de Balzac's La Comédie humaine, Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle and Benito Pérez Galdós's Episodios nacionales series. Zola's is a family saga, a format that later became a popular fictional form, going beyond the conventional three-volume novel of the nineteenth century. It is also less diffuse than Balzac's cycle, which only came together in an architectural sense in the course of being written.

Related Topics:
Honoré de Balzac - La Comédie humaine - Émile Zola - Benito Pérez Galdós - Family saga - Three-volume novel - Nineteenth century

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In the twentieth century Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu came to be regarded as a definitive roman fleuve, and was immensely influential, particularly on British novelists. Some of those follow the example of Anthony Powell, a Proust disciple but consciously adapting the technique to depict social change rather than change in 'society'. This was a step beyond the realist novels of Arnold Bennett (the Clayhanger books) or John Galsworthy.

Related Topics:
Twentieth century - Marcel Proust - À la recherche du temps perdu - Arnold Bennett - Clayhanger - John Galsworthy

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Examples include:

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• Romain Rolland's Jean Christophe,
• the novels of Jules Romains
• John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga
• Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage
• Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time
• C. P. Snow's Strangers and Brothers
• Henry Williamson's Chronicles of Ancient Sunlight
• Simon Raven's Alms for Oblivion and The First Born of Egypt
• Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and other sequences
• Paul Scott's Raj Quartet (The Jewel in the Crown)
• Susan Howatch's Starbridge sequence
• the novels of Amanda Craig
• A. N. Wilson's Lampitt Papers
• Ferdinand Mount's Chronicles of Modern Twilight
• John Updike's Rabbit Angstrom books.

Not many of the sequences of genre fiction could be seriously taken to be romans fleuve; the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian might qualify, and possibly the Vorkosigan Series of Lois McMaster Bujold.

Related Topics:
Aubrey-Maturin novels - Patrick O'Brian - Vorkosigan Series - Lois McMaster Bujold

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