Share similarities with documentaries:
* Focus on real events, people, and issues: They often explore historical events, social problems, or specific communities.
* Emphasize factual accuracy and research: Authors may incorporate real-life data, interviews, and archival material.
* Seek to inform and raise awareness: They aim to educate readers about a particular topic or challenge.
But also maintain the core elements of a novel:
* Fictional narrative: Even though the story is based on reality, it is still a fictional creation. It uses storytelling techniques like plot, character development, and dialogue to engage the reader.
* Imagination and interpretation: Authors use their own artistic vision to shape the narrative, even when dealing with real-life events. They may blend fact and fiction, speculating about motives, emotions, and unseen aspects of the story.
* Focus on character and theme: While exploring real-life events, documentary novels often delve into the inner lives and motivations of characters, exploring universal themes and human experiences.
Here's a breakdown of the key differences:
| Feature | Documentary Novel | Regular Novel |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of story | Real-life events, people, and issues | Imaginary world and characters |
| Purpose | Inform, educate, raise awareness | Entertain, explore human experiences |
| Research | Extensive, often using real-life data and interviews | May or may not be based on research, focused on imagination |
| Factual accuracy | Strive for factual accuracy but may blend fact and fiction | Not bound by factual accuracy, free to explore fantastical elements |
| Characters | Based on real people or composites of real people | Entirely fictional |
Examples of documentary novels:
* "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak: A fictionalized account of a young girl's life in Nazi Germany.
* "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini: A story about Afghan culture and the impact of war, inspired by the author's own experiences.
* "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro: A fictional exploration of a butler's life during the interwar period, inspired by real-life events.
Ultimately, the distinction between a documentary novel and a regular novel is a matter of degree. A novel might be more or less "documentary" depending on its emphasis on real-life elements and its use of research and factual accuracy.