This advanced reference resource for the novel and novel theory offers authoritative accounts of the history, terminology, and genre of the novel. Comprising over 140 articles ranging from 500 to 7,000 words, the encyclopedia explores topics including the history and tradition of the novel in different areas of the world; formal elements of the novel (story, plot, character, narrator); technical aspects of the genre (such as realism, narrative structure and style); subgenres, including the bildungsroman and the graphic novel; theoretical problems, such as definitions of the novel; history of the book; and the novel's relationship to other arts and disciplines. The encyclopedia is arranged in A-Z format and features entries from an international cast of scholars, overseen by an advisory board of 37 leading specialists in the field, making this the most authoritative reference resource available on the novel. Now available in an easy-to-use, fully indexed single volume paperback, it will be a vital addition to the libraries of literature students and scholars everywhere. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Literature is a comprehensive, scholarly, authoritative, and critical overview of literature and theory comprising individual titles covering key literary genres, periods, and sub-disciplines. Available both in print and online, this groundbreaking resource provides students, teachers, and researchers with cutting-edge scholarship in literature and literary studies.