It could imply a sense of lateness in the events of the story, perhaps indicating that something is happening too late to be easily resolved or that a character has realized something when it's almost too late. For example, if it's a story about a relationship, 'so late in the day' might mean that the characters finally see the truth about their feelings when they are on the verge of losing each other.
The setting can greatly enhance the meaning. If the story is set in a dying town, for example, 'so late in the day' could refer not just to the time of day but also to the state of the town. It's as if the town has reached a point where it's too late to save it, much like the characters might be too late to achieve their goals.
The phrase might be a bit unclear without more context. It could potentially be a start of a story where 'late in the day' sets the time frame and 'a novel' is the main subject matter. For instance, if it's part of a description, it could be about a character who discovers a novel late in the day and this discovery changes their perspective or starts a new journey for them.
It might also be a more literal description. Say a story is set during the later part of a day, and the entire narrative is built around that time frame. So the 'late in the day' aspect is central to the plot and the overall feel of the novel.
Maybe a science - fiction novel that jumps on a trend of a particular scientific concept but at a later stage. For example, if time - travel stories were really popular in the 2010s, a 'late in the day novel' in this case could be one that was published in 2018, when the trend was starting to wane. It would still use the time - travel concept but be late in the cycle of such stories.
The Imperial Concubine's Favoured Daily Life was an ancient romance novel written by Feng Mulan. The story was about the imperial censor's eldest daughter, Su Lan, who became an imperial concubine. Faced with the emperor's favor and the empress's jealousy, she chose a casual lifestyle. The latest chapter of the novel was chapter 67. The specific plot and development were still unclear.
The Imperial Concubine's Favoured Daily Life was an ancient romance novel written by Feng Mulan. The story was about the imperial censor's eldest daughter, Su Lan, who became an imperial concubine. Faced with the emperor's favor and the empress's jealousy, she chose a casual lifestyle. The latest chapter of the novel was chapter 67. The specific plot and development were still unclear.
I rushed to get dressed. I grabbed the first clothes I saw and put them on without much thought. Then I quickly ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth, but I almost dropped my toothbrush in the hurry.