What narrative device defines epistolary novels?

• A. First-person diary entries.
• B. Third-person narration.
• C. Told in the form of letters.
• D. Narration through stage directions.

Answer: (C)

Epistolary novels are built from documents written by the characters, most often letters. This structure lets readers experience the story through the writers’ personal voices, with dated entries that show how information unfolds and what each narrator knows at a given moment. The defining feature is that the narrative is conveyed through correspondence between characters, rather than a single, external narrator guiding the reader. Diaries might appear in such works, but the essential trait remains the letter-based format that carries the plot. Other forms, like third-person narration or stage directions, provide viewpoints outside of the characters’ exchanged writings rather than the intimate, document-driven storytelling that defines this type.