Would a novel always be considered fiction?
Not necessarily. A novel can be based on a true story, in which case it might not be pure fiction. There are novels that are more like fictionalized accounts of real - life experiences. For instance, memoir - like novels where the author has taken their own life story and added some fictional elements for the sake of the narrative flow or to protect the privacy of others. So, a novel is not always fiction.
No. While most novels are works of fiction, there are novels based on real - life events that can be considered non - fiction or semi - fiction. For example, some historical novels strive to accurately represent a particular period in history, with real events and real people, and may only have fictionalized dialogue or minor fictional elements.