Consider, even English literature was a late comer to the academy,  therefore the novel, being a late comer to the late comer, did not made it to the curriculum in the English departments world wide by the 1950. In fact, even by the mid 1980, it was so marginal that taking any graduate seminar related with fiction would be considered as side-tracked. Now, major theorists of the novel such as Franco Moretti hailed this field of study as “a great anthropological force,” highlighting its close examination on humankind by redefining the sense of reality and the meaning of individual existence. As now, scholars of the world celebrate the novel’s plurality as the borders of literature are continuously, unpredictably expanded, in today’s episode of the Global Novel,  we will concentrate on the rise of the novel, especially its philosophical underpinnings and its main characteristics that set it apart from its predecessors—the epic and prose fiction as well as other earlier novel forms from different cultures and traditions. Recommended Readings: Ian Watt, The Rise of the Novel Georg Lukács, Theory of the Novel Franco Moretti, The Novel Vol.1 —The Novel Vol.2 This podcast is sponsored by Riverside, the most efficient platform for video recording and editing for podcasters. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show