10 Types of Novels, Which is Your Favorite? – As novel lovers, sometimes we really appreciate and also fall in love with the story. This also makes some reading enthusiasts want to participate in writing their own stories by reflecting on their favorite novels. However, before starting to write, do you know what types of novels exist?
When reading a book you are sure to find similar types of novels that you usually like. For example, you really like Karla M. Nashar’s novel Love, Hate, Hocus-Pocus which discusses the lives of career women but wrapped in various interesting humor. Then apparently you also like novels that are funny and related to office stories like Resign! Belongs to Almira Bastari.
From there you can draw the conclusion that your favorite novels are novels in the metropop genre packed with humor. That way, don’t be surprised if you want to write a similar story or be inspired by what you’ve read.
Therefore, it is important for aspiring writers or reading lovers like you to know what types of novels exist. The following review will explain the types based on several aspects.
Types of Novels Based on Story Genre
1. Romance
This type of novel is a classic genre that has been loved by all people from ancient times to the present. As the name implies, romantic novels are novels that tell about love and affection. Both romance stories between men and women or affection for family and others.
Call it a legendary novel with a romantic genre of all time like Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Who does not know the legendary love story of the two. As one of the major works of literature, this romantic genre has taken on so much contribution in the world of novel writing from ancient times to the present.
Moreover, nowadays love stories have developed into various new stories that are popular with many readers. However, romantic or romance stories also do not mean that they are always beautiful and happy. There are many genres of romantic stories that end sadly and painfully which are considered part of romance and art itself.
This type of novel also began to develop according to the culture and anxiety that existed in society. Some romantic novels are sometimes presented with humor, lightness, or romance that is not too complicated. Generally, this type of romantic story is present in metropop and chicklit novels.
Several romantic novels such as The Architecture of Love by Ika Natassa, Pride Prejudice by Jane Austen, Rona Hidup Rona by Mia Arsjad, Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella and many more.
2. Comedy
Novels with the comedy genre are novels written with stories that are full of humor or silliness or simple stories with a humorous writing style. This type of novel aims to make its readers enter into funny stories to make them laugh.
Most of the stories written in this genre have a relatively simple storyline, not too complicated and only focus on the main character’s anxiety. However, it should be understood that whether or not a novel is funny also depends on the sense of humor of each reader.
This is what sometimes makes comedy novels not so funny or interesting for some people. But if you manage to find a comedy novel that suits your taste, you might just burst out laughing every time you read it.
The types of humor offered in each comedy novel also vary. Just like romantic novels, comedy novels also have many colors and different types of writing.
Some comedy novels are the author’s sarcasm in criticizing a problem, which in the end is still entertaining and can convey the intent from the author’s point of view.
Some examples of works in this genre that you can read are Raditya Dika’s Kambing Jantan, Ernest Prakasa’s Ngenest, Singles: A Comedy of Love by Adhitya Mulya and many more.
3. Horror
This type of horror novel is a novel genre that is increasingly in demand. Stories written in horror novels usually tell about scary and sadistic stories or supernatural experiences.
If in films we can listen to horrific backsounds to add to the tension, in horror novels the writer will use details that relate to the five senses so that it seems as if the reader can feel the same tension.
This type of novel is also divided into two types, namely fictional stories that are made by the author, and based on true stories that have been experienced by the author or other people. Several horror novels are currently popular, such as Sara Wijayanto’s Wingit , Journal of Terror: Sweta Kartika’s Bead, CJ Tudor’s The Child Man and others.
4. Mystery
In this mystery novel genre, most of them have the same stories and problems about how to uncover a case or solve a mystery. In this type of novel, the writer tends to focus on one problem or mystery to be solved. However, several stories also provide several different series of cases in each chapter but still lead to the same common thread, which ultimately answers all the mysteries in the novel.
Because the essence of the story is to reveal a mystery, it is not surprising that most of the stories in this mystery novel are related to crime, murder, puzzles and sometimes are also associated with the mystical.
Like a horror novel, the writer is also able to create tension through various written details that are poured out in the novel. In order to trigger the reader’s adrenaline and make people more curious about the continuation of the mystery. It’s not uncommon for those who read it to guess how it ended, who the real killer was and so on.
Novels in this genre have long been popular abroad and then entered Indonesia. Currently there are many famous mystery novels of all time such as novels such as Silence of The Lambs by Thomas Harris, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Dua Dini Hari by Chandra Bientang.
5. History
This type of historical novel is a novel whose story has a plot in the past or even historical or royal stories. In general, historical novels focus more on one prominent figure in their era. However, there are also stories that tell fictional stories that take place in ancient times. This story is also usually related to history, an event, or a historical place.
This type of novel also has its own charm for readers who like classic fiction stories such as old romances. With the background, writing style, diction and small details that the author of historical novels put into the novel, they are able to pull the reader back into the past. This is a value in itself that makes writing in historical novels more distinctive.
One of the talented writers whose books have managed to occupy the ranks of best sellers in this genre, namely Pramoedya Ananta Toer, with various historical and romance novels that are still warm in the hearts of his readers.
Historical novels have their own characteristics that are difficult to describe, when reading them we can feel a unique atmosphere. The author who writes his work in this genre seems to have experienced it or had contact with other people related to the story.
Several historical novels are interesting to read such as Pantai Girl by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Laut Bercerita by Leila S. Chudori, Amba by Laksmi Pamuntjak and many more.
6. Inspirational
As the name implies, this inspirational novel has a goal to motivate or inspire its readers. In this genre, inspirational novels also have types of fiction and non-fiction stories. Fictional stories in inspirational novels can be in the form of a series of stories that have many messages and build the motivation of the reader.
Novels such as Andrea Hirata’s Laskar Pelang, or Tere Liye’s novels can also be classified in this genre. Because it has a story of the main character that inspires and makes the reader moved to do the same good.
Non-fiction novels of this type are generally a series of stories of a public figure or a biography of someone who is considered to be able to inspire and bring good influence to the reader. Some examples of inspiring biographical novels are Merry Riana: A Million Dollar Dream, Buya Hamka, and also Kartini.
7. Religion
The next type of novel is based on the genre of the story, namely religious novels, or novels related to a religion. In this novel genre, there are many works that also have their own fans.
Some people prefer inspirational stories based on religion such as Islamic novels or spiritual novels. This novel genre generally tells a fictional story or a story based on the true story of a religious figure.
In addition, every storyline in this novel is also based on religious values, which can make the reader understand these values. There are several Islamic novels which are also still best sellers in Indonesia, some have even managed to be broadcast on the big screen such as Habiburrahman El Shirazy’s Ayat-Ayat Cinta, Ahmad Fuadi’s Negeri 5 Menara, Hamka’s Sinking of the Van Der Wijck Ship.
8. Sci-Fi
If we are usually attracted to the science fiction genre in films because of artificial sophistication, various out of the box visuals from high CGI results, then in a novel a piece of writing can also have the same power.
This type of novel is also much liked by novel readers today. Just like a film, this science fiction themed novel tells a fictional story related to technology, artificial intelligence and unlimited supernatural abilities.
When reading stories from these science fiction novels, you will feel the sophistication of technology from the various details written. What’s more, novels of this genre often make our knowledge about technology even wider.
Sci-fi stories are also very broad to continue to be developed, various popular stories about robots, time or dimension travel, space travel, monsters and aliens. Interested? Some science fiction novels that you must read as a science fiction lover are The Martian, Ender’s Game, Ready Player One and Contact.
9. Fan-Fic
Ever heard of the term Fan Fiction? This term has become wider since the emergence of the Korean Wave, but it does not mean that this genre is only about Korea, novels in this genre can be from any country such as Japan, China, and even America.
This fan fiction genre is a novel that tells a fictional story using real characters in the story. Real figures here are usually someone who is famous in real life such as celebrities, actors, actresses, singers and other public figures .
This novel is generally made by fans of the character, but often the nature and character of the character is made to suit the story created by the author. So sometimes some of these fanfic novels also have various genres such as horror, adventure, romance to comedy.
Types of Novels Based on Content
1. Teenlit
Teenlit is a novel that puts forward typical teenage stories aimed at teenagers themselves. So that his writing style and diction often use slang, or trending terms.
Most of these teenlit novels are stories of love, friendship and teenage anxieties that are considered related to today’s youth. In teenlit novels, the story characters also often use school characters or backgrounds. Some examples of popular teenlit novels are Me vs High Heels, Mariposa, Jingga dan Senja and High School Paradise.
2. Chicklit
If teenlit often uses high school characters in its stories, the stories in chicklit are on a more mature level and the conflicts are even more complicated. This chicklit novel also sometimes uses characterizations where the main character is already working, or in the world of lectures. The stories outlined in chicklit are also mostly about love stories, so this genre is also often a favorite among readers.
Examples of chicklit novels that you can read are Confession of Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Bellamore and Ti Amo Tia Amoria by Karla M. Nashar.
3. Metropop
The metropop novel is a type of novel that on average tells about the journey of a career woman, the story of the metropolitan life of the capital, love. The metropolitan genre tends to tell about a main character in their mid-20s to late 40s, so it’s not surprising that several novels tend to address complex issues or concerns at that age.
Therefore, this metropolitan novel is more aimed at adults of working age and not school children. These metropo stories are also considered to be more realistic than real life. Several well-known metropop novels such as In a Blue Moon by Ilana Tan, Crash Into You by aliaZalea, Rapi Jali by Dee Lestari and Odd Even by Almira Bastari.
Find Your Favorite Type of Novel!
101 Days of Writing & Publishing Manual Novels for (Prospective) Writers