Instead, the author would have had to rely on Mina’s impressions of her and perhaps develop her character through some small incidents. This works particularly well because had this not been an epistolary novel, we would never have had a chance to hear her voice through her letters. Similarly, Mina Murray and her friend Lucy Westerner’s correspondence serves the purpose of introducing their relationship and Lucy Westerner’s voice paints the picture of a carefree girl in the prime of her life, with everything to look forward to including the promise of true love. For example, at one point he wonders, “ It seems to me that the further east you go the more unpunctual are the trains. We find him ruminating and philosophising on several subjects. Similarly, even though we are not aware of his profession initially, Harker’s style of writing and observation skills make it evident that he is a well-educated man. For example, beginning with Jonathan Harker’s journey as he travels to Transylvania to meet the eponymous Count, Stoker gives us glimpses of Harker’s relationship with his fiancee, Mina as he mentions that he must get her recipes of the local food he is eating. One of the best parts about epistolary novels is that readers are truly tested as instead of being given information, sometimes we have to infer it. As readers, we form a greater connection with the characters as we are privy to their private correspondence which can provide us with intimate details which would seem extraneous in any other form. As there is no omniscient narrator, we get a better understanding of the characters since we get to hear their own perspectives.

Perhaps, the biggest advantage of using this style is that the author can introduce different voices with ease. It also makes it easier for us to come to terms with the coincidences in the novel, as well as the interconnectedness of the characters. We get different viewpoints of the same incident which adds to the richness of the narrative and gives us clues which would otherwise be unavailable had the entire story been told from the perspective of the narrator. An epistolary novel is a fascinating form of literature where the story is told in the form of letters, journal entries, newsletter clippings, telegrams, and in keeping with modern technology, blog entries, and e-mails.

One of the best examples of the epistolary novel is Bram Stoker’s Dracula where he uses everything from journal entries to ships’ logs and newspaper clippings to create a very compelling and haunting narrative.

Bram stoker's dracula book