A novel that features spiritual apparitions as major character is

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which type of novel has spiritual apparitions (ghosts, spirits, supernatural beings) as major characters.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Epistolary novel: Told through letters, diary entries, or documents (e.g., Pamela by Samuel Richardson, So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ).
• Historical novel: Set in a real past period, using real events or settings as the backdrop (e.g., Things Fall Apart has a historical setting).
• Sociological novel: Focuses on social issues and how society shapes people, such as class, corruption, and inequality.
• Gothic novel: Features mystery, horror, gloomy settings (castles, ruins), and supernatural elements such as ghosts, spirits, and apparitions (e.g., The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, Dracula, Wuthering Heights with its ghostly elements).

Step 3: Match the clue to the type "Spiritual apparitions" means ghosts or supernatural presences. This is a defining feature of the Gothic novel. None of the other types is defined by the supernatural.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is D. Gothic.

Tip: Link keywords to types:

• Letters/diaries → Epistolary
• Past events → Historical
• Society's problems → Sociological
• Ghosts, horror, gloom → Gothic