Novelists of the Romantic Age


1)

  1. The greatest novelists of the Romantic period are Jane Austen Scott.

  2. But before these, there were Novelists who wrote novels of ‘terror’ or the ‘Gothic novels’

  3. These writers came under the spell of mediaevalism.


  1. The origin of this type of fiction goes to Horace Walpole.

  2. His novel The Cassette of Otranto is set 

  3. In medieval Italy.

  4. Here he narrates how the gigantic helmet kills its victims, supernatural interference etc.

2) The Gothic Novel

  1. Mrs. Ann Radcliff was one of the most popular novelists of the Gothic Novel.

  2. Of her five novels, the most famous was ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’

  3. She imitated Walpole but added effective scenery.

3) Mathew Gregory (monk)

  1. Lewis was another novelist in this group

  2. He wrote ‘Jales of Terror and Tales of Wonder


4) Robert Maturin

  1. He wrote ‘Melmoth the wanderer.

  2. This had a great influence on France.


5) Mrs Shelley

  1. She was one of the most popular novelists.

  2. Frankenstein is still a popular novel.


6) Jane Austen

  1. Jane Austen brought good sense and balance to the English novel.

  2. With her imagination, Austen carried herself away to her romantic past or the romantic future.


  1. Novels in the hands of Richardson & Fielding were a record of the real picture.

  2. But in the 18th century, it come to be crime, terror and insanity.

  3. This needed reform.

  4. And in the hands of Austen and her contemporaries, we can see the change. 

 

  1. Austen published her novels anonymously.

  2. Her novels brought her to be one of the best novelists.

  3. She did the same to the English novels that the lake poets did for poetry.

  4. She refined and simplified it, giving a true reflection of English life.

  5. Quietly she made a deliberate attempt to present in her novels the true picture of the countryside.

  6. a) She went not write, irrespective of the fact,

b) That she got less money for it.

  1. She is one of the most sincere artists in the English language of art for art's sake.

  2. What poetry was for John Keats novels were for Austan.

  3. Her novels are mainly Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense & Sensibility.

  4. We find shadows of satire and humour also in her novels.

  5. She knew precisely what she wanted to do and did it. The way that suited her.

  6. Scott remarked to her that the young lady has a remarkable talent, for describing simple 

     things in a wonderful way.

  1. Unfortunately, she died early.


7) Sir Walter Scott -

  1. Scott painted history on a broader canvas.

  2. So he deals with chivalry, the adventures of Highlanders.

  3. His works namely are The Heart of the Midlothian, Ivanhoe Kenilworth and many more.

  4. Without being historical, he conveyed the past with humour and sympathy.

  5. The characters are beautifully portrayed.

  6. He is a superb master of dialogue.

  7. Scott is the first historical writer of English novels.

  8. He was a voracious reader. This helped him in his novels.

  9. He was a good storyteller.

  10. Scott was the first novelist who chose ‘scene’ as an essential element in the novels.

  11. He describes it as if it was a natural environment.

  12.      a) Scott’s chief claim to greatness was that he gave life to the historical characters-

     b) As such that they seemed to be living today also.

  1. Carlyle remarked of him that the truth to the writers of history.

Romantic age over and out 😀