The novel was a completely new literary development in the eighteenth century. The great variety and individuality of approach made the novel an extremely responsive and versatile vehicle for contemporary social reporting and analysis, and for psychological discovery. This book explores Eigtheenth Century English fiction by focusing on the five major figures who are still widely read today - Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne and Smollett; it also shows that the 'minor' figures must also be noted for their place in this remarkably prolific period.