Character novels were a type of novel that focused on the shaping of characters. It mainly described the protagonist's growth in a specific environment, exploring himself, and realizing his own value. In China, the development of character novels can be traced back to the 1950s, but it was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that they became popular. With the deepening of the reform and opening up and the improvement of people's living standards, character novels gradually became a popular genre. During this period, character novels began to be popular in China, such as Chen Zhongshi, Jia Pingao, Mo Yan, etc. They began to create novels centered on character shaping. One of the most representative works was White Deer Plain. White Deer Plain, by describing the disputes and contradictions between the Bai and Lu families, showed the life, thoughts and values of the Chinese countryside in a historical period. It became a classic in the history of Chinese literature and laid a solid foundation for the popularity of character novels in China. From then on, character novels began to enter the international market and become Chinese. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chinese novels such as Red Soroliang and Fat Breasts and Buttocks won a series of international literary awards, which also marked the beginning of Chinese character novels entering the international market. These works not only provided important support for the development of Chinese character novels, but also for China. Generally speaking, the development of character novels in China had gone through a long process. From the initial neglect to the gradual popularity, and then to the international market, it became one of the important components of Chinese literature. With the change of times and the improvement of people's living standards, the development prospects of character novels in China are still very broad. In the future, they will continue to play their unique artistic charm and make greater contributions to the development of Chinese literature.