Epistolary is that linked to an epistle (a letter).
The first step we are going to take to discover the meaning of the term epistolary is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from the verb “epistolaris”, which can be translated as “relative to the letter” and that it is the result of the sum of the following lexical components:
-The noun “epistle”, which means “letter”.
-The suffix “-ar”, which is used to indicate “relative to”.
The adjective epistolary refers to that linked to an epistle : a missive or letter. For example: “The epistolary exchange of both writers extended for more than three decades,” “We never saw each other personally, we had an epistolary relationship,” “The Spanish author surprised with the presentation of an epistolary novel.”
The epistolary genre
In the field of literature , the epistolary genre is called that whose works are built from a succession of letters exchanged by the main characters. These epistles allow the construction of the plot.
One of the most famous epistolary novels is “Dracula” , written by the Irishman Bram Stoker and published in 1897 . Another recognized author who opted for the epistolary genre was the German Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , creator of “The Sorrows of Young Werther” ( 1774 ).
In our language , epistolary novels have also been published that achieved great repercussion. One of them is “La incógnita” , a work by Benito Pérez Galdós that was published in 1889 .
Epistolary communication through postal mail fell into disuse due to the rise of email and digital messaging.
Other novels of this type
In the same way, we cannot ignore other aspects of the epistolary novel, among which the following stand out:
-The first novel in Spanish written in the form of letters is the one titled “Process of Love Letters”, which was published in 1553 and was written by Juan de Segura from Toledo.
-It has been widely used by what are considered romantic authors. Among these we can highlight both Jane Austen (1775 – 1817) and Goethe (1749 – 1832).
-Another of the most relevant novels, considered a classic of literature, which is presented in epistolary format is “Dangerous Liaisons”, published in 1887 and written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
-More books that acquire the form in question are “Pepita Jiménez”, which is written by Juan Valera and was published in 1874; “Cartas marruecas”, published in 1782 and which is the work of José Cadalso, and “La estafeta romantica”, which was presented in 1899 and belongs to the writer Benito Pérez Galdós.
Changes in epistolary communication
With the advancement of technology and the widespread use of email , epistolary communications by postal means fell into disuse. The exchange of emails or messages through instant messaging systems, on the other hand, continues to grow. In this framework, the epistolary genre also mutated and thus stories and novels began to emerge with stories developed through this type of digital modalities.
Epistolario (the book that brings together various letters), epistolographer (who stands out for writing epistles) and epistolography (the literary activity based on the development of letters) are other concepts related to epistolary.