Arts and Entertainment^341
The plot is what happens in a story. Most
plots have a beginning, a middle, and
an end, and contain problems that are
eventually solved. Writers usually invent
plots, although some authors, like William
Shakespeare, may take them from history.
NOVELS
Novels are stories in prose (not verse) that
explore people and society using imaginary
characters. They are structured around. (^) PLOTS and are usually more than
50,000 words in length. Novels are organized
into categories of fiction called^.^ GENRES.
WHAT WERE THE EARLIEST NOVELS?
One of the earliest novels was Don Quixote (1605) by
the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616).
Around 100 years later, novels became popular when
Robinson Crusoe (1719) was published. Written by
English author Daniel Defoe (1660–1731), it is the
story of a shipwrecked man alone on an island.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PLOT?
A good plot grabs the reader’s interest and captures
his or her emotions right to the end. The writer uses
suspense and surprise to control the pace of the plot.
Sometimes flashbacks (returning to the past) gradually
fill in the background to a story.
SCIENCE FICTION 3
Science fiction (stories about
the future and space travel) was a
particularly popular genre in the 1950s.
It reflected a real interest in space at the time.
WHY DO DIFFERENT GENRES EXIST?
Authors, like readers, have their favourite interests and will only write on
a subject they feel connected to. Categorizing a book means that readers
know what to expect and where to look for it in a bookshop or
library. Changing social trends and tastes can inspire new genres.
GENRES
Genres are categories of art and culture. In literature, a love story
belongs to the romance genre, and a murder story is categorized
as crime. However, stories can belong to more than one genre.
1 THE TALE OF GENJI
This early form of the novel was written by a Japanese noblewoman, Lady
Murasaki, in the 11th century. It is about the life of a prince called Genji
and describes the daily activities of the Japanese royal court.
1 The first popular detective in fiction was Sherlock Holmes, created by
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). 2 Gone with the Wind is a classic romance
written by Margaret Mitchell (1900–1949). 3 The blood-sucking Count
Dracula from Transylvania was created by Bram Stoker (1847–1912).
1 CRIME 2 ROMANCE 3 HORROR
1 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (c. 1595) by Shakespeare is a comedy.
The plot has many fantastic and funny twists, and a happy ending.
PLOTS
1 PAPERBACKS
Most books had hard covers until
the first paperback novels were
published by Penguin in 1935.
Paperbacks were cheap and made
books more affordable.
literature