ABSTRACT
The novel is the youngest of the three main literary mediums, with what is usually recognised as the first novel (Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) being published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. The reason for this late development is practical, rather than literary or aesthetic. Poetry can thrive very happily in an oral tradition, with verse being recited and passed on by word of mouth. Drama also relies on performance, and need rely little on the printed word. There were probably only a handful of ‘scripts’ for Shakespeare's actors to work with, and the plays were only published in book form long after the plays had been performed and enjoyed by live audiences. Stories, of course, can be passed on and passed down the generations through the oral tradition, as can poetry, but the novel has to be read from a printed page simply because of its length. For this to be possible there has to be the sophistication of printing techniques required to print and bind a large book. There has to be the transport system that can take the copies from the point of manufacture to the point of sale. Most of all, there have to be enough people who can read with enough disposable income to buy a relatively expensive and non-essential product. Such conditions did not apply in Europe until the seventeenth century, so one can argue that economic, technological and social development were what made the novel possible.
