One of the earliest graphic novels is 'The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck' by Rodolphe Töpffer, which was published in 1837. It laid the foundation for the development of the graphic novel genre, with its sequential art and narrative structure.
The earliest collection of mythological stories: Genesis in the Old testament and many stories in the Bible can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
The earliest collection of mythological stories: Homer was the earliest collection of mythological stories, including many myths and legends such as the Iliad and the Odysey.
The earliest collection of notebook novels: The Book of Rahim and the Translated Version of the Holy Koran contained many notebook novels such as Tahith and Ashiyyah.
The earliest long chapter novel: " Dream of the Red Chamber " was the earliest long chapter novel that narrated the love story of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and others in the Qing Dynasty.
The earliest vernacular novel, The Scholars, was the earliest vernacular novel that described the ways of the world and the conspiracies of the Ming Dynasty officialdom.
In China, 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' is among the early historical novels. Written in the 14th century, it is based on the historical period of the Three Kingdoms. It depicts the power struggles, heroic deeds, and strategic battles among the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu. It has had a huge impact on Chinese literature and culture, with its characters like Zhuge Liang becoming well - known figures in Chinese history and lore.
The earliest novels often had simple plots. For example, 'The Tale of Genji' in Japan, which is considered one of the early novels. It focused on the life and relationships of the characters in a court setting. They also tended to be episodic, with different events strung together. The language was sometimes a bit more flowery compared to modern prose, as it was influenced by the literary styles of the time.
The earliest collection of novels was Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, a collection of ancient novels that included thousands of stories. The stories were all from ancient Chinese legends, myths, ghosts, monsters, etc. Some were from folk tales, operas, etc. This collection of novels was regarded as one of the origins of Chinese novels and played an important role in the development and inheritance of ancient Chinese novels.
The earliest graphic novel, like 'The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck', often had simple yet expressive illustrations. The narrative was usually straightforward, guiding the reader through the story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The use of panels was basic but effective in sequencing the events.
Well, the earliest English novels tended to be quite episodic. Take 'The Canterbury Tales' for instance. It's a collection of individual tales within a framing story. They usually had a simple narrative structure. These novels were also deeply influenced by the society and culture of the time. In 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', the chivalric code of the Middle Ages is very much present. And they often had elements of the supernatural, as we can see in many Arthurian tales which were part of the early English novel landscape.
One of the earliest horror novels is 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole. It was published in 1764 and is often considered a pioneer in the horror genre. It features elements like supernatural events and a sense of dread.