A novel written in form of a letter is said to be_______

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the term used to describe a novel written as a series of letters.

2. Explain the concept The word "epistolary" comes from the Latin/Greek epistola, meaning "letter." An epistolary novel tells its story through letters, and sometimes diary entries, newspaper clippings, or other documents.

3. Go through the options

• A. Gothic: A genre with dark, mysterious, supernatural or horror settings, such as Dracula or Frankenstein. It describes mood and theme, not form.
• B. Biographical: A story about a person's life written by someone else.
• C. Epistolary: A story told through letters. This matches the question.
• D. Autobiographical: A writer's account of their own life, usually in the first person. It is not necessarily in letter form.

4. Answer The correct option is C. Epistolary.

Examples to remember

• So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (a Literature favourite in West African exams). The whole novel is a long letter from Ramatoulaye to her friend Aissatou.
• Pamela by Samuel Richardson
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker

5. Exam tip Link epistolary with epistle, a letter, as in the "Epistles" in the Bible. If you see the word "letter" in a question, think "epistle", which leads to "epistolary".