epistolarity

Epistolarity refers to a literary genre or convention characterized by the use of correspondence, such as letters, diary entries, or other written documents, as the primary or sole means of narration. This form of storytelling allows authors to present a story through a collection of documents, often without a traditional omniscient narrator. The reader pieces together the plot, character development, and themes by reading the various communications.

The epistolary form can take many shapes, including a single narrator's journal or a series of exchanges between multiple characters. This can create a sense of realism and immediacy, as the reader is privy to the unfiltered thoughts and experiences of the characters. It also allows for a fragmented or multi-perspectival narrative, where different characters may offer conflicting accounts or reveal partial truths.

Historically, the epistolary novel gained prominence in the 18th century with works like Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Julie, or the New Heloise." It has been employed across various literary periods and genres, from romance and gothic fiction to social commentary and psychological drama. Modern variations include the use of emails, text messages, and other digital forms of communication to create epistolary narratives. The effectiveness of the epistolary form often relies on the believability of the voices and the skill with which the author constructs the narrative from these disparate pieces.