The first novel in epistolary style was 'The Letters of a Portuguese Nun'. It's a significant work in the history of literature. The epistolary format allows the story to unfold in a unique way. We are basically reading the private correspondence of the nun, which makes the story feel very real. It's not just a story being told, but rather we are eavesdropping on her most private and heartfelt expressions. This novel influenced other writers to explore the epistolary style for their own works.
For the first epistolary novel, like 'The Letters of a Portuguese Nun', one important feature is its ability to create a strong sense of character. We get to know the nun so well just through her letters. It also has a fragmented narrative structure. The story is told in chunks through the letters, which can create suspense as we wait to see what the next letter will reveal. And the epistolary form allows for a lot of self - reflection from the character, which is very evident in this first such novel.
Most of the time, epistolary novels are in the first person. Since they are based on personal communications like letters or diaries, the author writes from the character's perspective, making it first person.
The significance of the first epistolary novel is that it introduced a new way of storytelling. It allowed for a more intimate and personal view into the characters' thoughts and feelings through letters. This form also enabled multiple perspectives to be presented, as different characters could write their own letters.
Russell's first epistolary novel was Walden. This novel was published by him in 1755. It is one of his most famous works and one of the important documents of the French Enlightenment. The novel depicted the protagonist's life in Walden Lake as the main line, and at the same time, it also showed his dissatisfaction with social reality and his pursuit of freedom and equality. The novel expressed his thoughts with sincere emotion and beautiful language, which was deeply loved by readers.
The first epistolary novel in China was 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. This novel was based on the life experiences of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and others in the Qing Dynasty. Through the description of the decline of the Jia family and the complex relationship between the family members, it showed the life of a feudal aristocratic family and the cold world. In the novel, a large number of letters, diary and other epistolary forms were used to show the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters in a more realistic and detailed way. It became a classic epistolary novel in the history of Chinese literature.