Psychological fiction, also called psychological realism, is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional and mental lives of its characters, using narrative technique to examine why characters behave as they do in ways that shape the plot itself. Writers typically achieve this psychological depth through methods such as stream of consciousness and flashback, giving readers access to characters' interior states.
Facts
Place of OriginEarly examples include 9th-century Tang China (Yingying's Biography by Yuan Zhen) and 11th-century Japan (The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki); the modern psychological novel developed further in 19th-century Europe with Stendhal and Fyodor Dostoevsky. 1 Notable ExampleCrime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 1 Defining TraitEmphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional and mental lives of characters, achieved through narrative modes such as stream of consciousness and flashbacks. 1 Connections
Features Author
Source Stendhal (Wikipedia)
Form Of Genre
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: China, originated there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Europe, originated there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Japan, originated there.
Sources
1. Psychological Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph, first sentence
In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of its characters.
Early examples section
Yingying's Biography by Yuan Zhen, written in 9th-century Tang China, is a pioneering work of psychological fiction in the form of a short story (chuanqi). The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki, written in 11th-century Japan, was and is considered by many, including Jorge Luis Borges, as the first full-length psychological novel.
Notable examples section
One of the greatest writers of the genre was Fyodor Dostoyevsky. His novels deal strongly with ideas, and characters who embody these ideas, how they play out in real world circumstances, and the value of them, most notably The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment.
View the Source Stendhal (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationFeatures Author: Stendhal, Lead sectionQuote, Features Author: Stendhal, Lead section
he is highly regarded for the acute analysis of his characters' psychology and considered one of the early and foremost practitioners of realism.
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