prose fiction
Quick Summary
Prose fiction is a literary genre that uses narrative, written in ordinary language rather than verse. It encompasses a wide range of forms, including novels, short stories, and novellas. Unlike nonfictional prose, which is primarily based on fact, prose fiction creates imagined worlds and characters.12
The development of prose fiction is a long history, with early examples found in classical Greek and Roman literature, such as Petronius Arbiter's Satyricon and Lucius Apuleius's The Golden Ass. These works, while fragmented, show early explorations of narrative and character. The novel form, as we know it today, began to take shape in 17th-century France and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries with authors like Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, and Leo Tolstoy.1
Prose fiction is distinct from poetry, which typically uses rhythm, rhyme, and meter, whereas prose focuses on ordinary language. While the lines can sometimes blur, prose fiction is characterized by its narrative structure and imaginative content.31
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