The Saudi Epistolary Novel: A Study in the Formation and Transformation of a Literary Genre

The importance of the topic of this article lies in the fact that it is so rarely explored in the context of the Arabic novel and almost never in that of the Saudi novel, except for passing references. The article aims to clarify the concept of the epistolary novel—that is, the novel based on letters—and its earliest roots. It seeks to establish a concept of the Saudi epistolary novel and its value in Arabic fiction, highlighting the earliest Saudi examples and their impact on the Arabic novel in general. It also discusses some of the functions that the letter plays in a novel and observes the recent development of the Saudi epistolary novel, which has facilitated its openness to the new literature.