Sentimental Novel

The sentimental novel is poetry or prose fiction of the 18th literary genre in contrast the rationalism of Augustan literature. One of the characteristics of this kind of literature is its extreme emotion. It tries to give to the reader an optimistic point of view about human nature and humanity.

Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne was the most important book in this genre (1768).


A subgenre of sentimental novel was domestic novel or conduct novels. It is set in a domestic world.
There are satirical works and gothic works. An example of satirical works is Shamela by Fielding. He is being satirical with Pamela by Richardson. Jane Austin is also satirical in her book “Sense and Sensibility”. It is a satire of sentimental novel.
 

The first gothic novel was The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764).