Novita

A novita (borrowed from the Italian word for novelty) is a novel that consists chiefly of stand-alone short stories arranged in a manner that serves the overall movement of plot and character development, though the genre tends to emphasize character development or the depiction of a community, an era or an event more than plot.

Some novitas employ both stand-alone short stories and vignettes. These vignettes generally function as devices or interstitial material that enhance plot or the thematic connection between the stories.

Early examples

* "Dubliners", James Joyce
* "Winesburg, Ohio", Sherwood Anderson
* "As I Lay Dying", William Faulkner
* "The Martian Chronicles", Ray Bradbury

Later examples

* "The Joy Luck Club", Amy Tan
* "Trespassers Welcome Here", Karen Karbo
* "The Beggar Maid", Alice Munro
* "The Things They Carried", Tim O'Brien
* "Aquaboogie", Susan Straight
* "Phoenix", Osamu Tezuka

See also

* Novella
* Novelette
* Serial