| Psychological Fiction | |
| Alt Name: | Psychological Realism |
| Author: | Various |
| Origin: | 19th century |
| Characteristics: | Interior characterization, exploration of characters' mental and emotional states, emphasis on the characters' psychological development and motivations |
| Subgenres: | Psychological thriller, psychological horror, psychological drama, psychological science fiction |
| Related Genres: | Mystery, drama, thriller, horror, gothic fiction, detective fiction |
| Notable Works: | The Tale of Genji, The Red and the Black, The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, The Light Infantry Ball |
| Writers: | Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Henry James, Knut Hamsun, Patrick McGrath, Arthur Miller, Edith Wharton |
| Context: | Literature |
| Literature Place: | Worldwide |
| History: | Originated in the 19th century, with notable developments in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Knut Hamsun |
| Media Type: | Novels, short stories, plays |
In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of its characters. The mode of narration examines the reasons for the behaviours of the character, which propel the plot and explain the story.[1] Psychological realism is achieved with deep explorations and explanations of the mental states of the character's inner person, usually through narrative modes such as stream of consciousness and flashbacks.[2]
The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki, written in 11th-century Japan, was considered by Jorge Luis Borges to be a psychological novel.[3] French theorists Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, in A Thousand Plateaus, evaluated the 12th-century Arthurian author Chrétien de Troyes' Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart and Perceval, the Story of the Grail as early examples of the style of the psychological novel.[4]
Stendhal's The Red and the Black and Madame de La Fayette's The Princess of Cleves are considered the first precursors of the psychological novel.[5] The modern psychological novel originated, according to The Encyclopedia of the Novel, primarily in the works of Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun – in particular, Hunger (1890), Mysteries (1892), Pan (1894) and Victoria (1898).[6]
One of the greatest writers of the genre was Fyodor Dostoyevsky. His novels deal strongly with ideas, and characters who embody these ideas, how they play out in real world circumstances, and the value of them, most notably The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment.
In the literature of the United States, Henry James, Patrick McGrath, Arthur Miller, and Edith Wharton are considered "major contributor[s] to the practice of psychological realism."[7]
See main article: Psychological thriller. A subgenre of the thriller and psychological novel genres, emphasizing the inner mind and mentality of characters in a creative work. Because of its complexity, the genre often overlaps and/or incorporates elements of mystery, drama, action, slasher, and horror — often psychological horror. It bears similarities to the Gothic and detective fiction genres.[8]
See main article: Psychological horror. A subgenre of the horror and psychological novel genres that relies on the psychological, emotional and mental states of characters to generate horror. On occasions, it overlaps with the psychological thriller subgenre to enhance the story suspensefully.
See main article: Psychological drama. A subgenre of the drama and psychological novel genres, focuses upon the emotional, mental, and psychological development of characters in a dramatic work. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Requiem for a Dream (2000), both based on novels, are notable examples of this subgenre.[9]
See also: Inner space (science fiction). Psychological science fiction refers to works that focus is on the character's inner struggle dealing with political or technological forces. A Clockwork Orange (1971) is a notable example of this genre.[10] [11]