What is the first novel?

Answer 1

==One Answer== A novel is by definition a fictional work of considerable length, usually in the form of a story. The word "novel" is an English word adapted from the Italian word "novella" which was used to describe a short tale popular during the medieval period. Examples of medieval (14th Century) writing that illustrate the form of the novella include the Decameron by Boccaccio and the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, which is said to have been influenced by the work of Boccaccio. Although the word "novel" wasn't used until the latter half of the eighteenth century most scholars consider Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605) to be the first modern novel. The development of fictional writing occurred over centuries and culminated in the modern novel. For discussions of that development and other examples of early novels see the links provided below.