The 19th Century Novel A novel is defined as a long story about fictitious characters, written in prose rather than poetry. Novels were first written in the 18th century, then by the 19th century the novel, often in letters, was an established form of entertainment, also aided by rising adult literacy rates throughout the 19th century. The idea of ​​the novel had changed from being purely for women's entertainment to being available to a wider audience, covering a wider variety of issues. It was also during this century that it began to be increasingly acceptable, if not customary, to write novels with an underlying moral tone, particularly regarding social standards among the lower classes. Another theme of many 19th century novels was the creation and portrayal of strong, large female characters, many through the new generation of women writers. Walter Scott, born in Scotland in 1771, was famous for his escapist literature such as "Waverley" (1814) and "Ivanhoe." ' (1819), both evaders in their settings further back in the past (1745 and Norman Times respectively). Scott had been a poet until he turned to novel writing having been surpassed by the poetry of Lord Byron. “Ivanhoe,” an ahistorical novel, is considered meticulously researched and seemed to make the novel genre acceptable to men. It attracted a wide audience by setting it in Scotland and delving into the past, capturing the imagination of early Victorians with its eight-hundred-year-old characters, seeking refuge in the past and sparking their imaginations. "Ivanhoe" sold ten thousand copies in its first two weeks and led to a Gothic revival, the most famous of which is Sir Charles Barry's Houses of Parliament... center of paper... a long struggle. Both "Judethe Obscure" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" were heavily criticized at this time of writing, the brutality of its stories shocking Victorian audiences. However, it remains popular due to the strength of its stories and characters. Beyond the six authors I've mentioned, the collection of 19th-century literature is vast, many surviving and others falling into obscurity. Although early 20th century writers felt revolutionary in abandoning the old style of the Victorian novel, I believe that 19th century novelists were equally revolutionary in what they did for the novel. They created novel genres similar to those existing today and entertained and often shocked a tense century. They introduced the art of observance and complexity into the novel form and have formed the basis for the inspiration of novelists ever since..