Beneath is a succinct summary of prominent approaches to the literary novel, from modernism to realism.

Literary detective books have actually had a huge impact on not only literature, but also film. Emerging with terrific prominence throughout the 1930s and 1940s, a few of the best books to read from this genre were then subsequently made into famous 'noir' movies. Another highly popular category in literature across the world that became highly popular in the twentieth century is historical fiction. The CEO of a major shareholder of WH Smith would acknowledge the appeal of fiction, for example.

20th century fiction consists of a few of the most popular novels in the world. The very first half of the century is associated with literary modernism.Exactly what indeed was modernism? In essence, this was an approach to art in general, from painting to poetry; an approach so influential that is defined also an era in the arts, similar to romanticism and realism. The key quality of literary modernism, in spite of the multitude of different methods throughout this period, is the emphasis on innovation. Modernist authors approached revolutionising the literary novel. After half a century of realism being de rigueur literary form, by the fin de siecle, experimental approaches to the novel became more prominent, with an emphasis on dreams perhaps showing the concurrent increase in psychotherapy. Novels ended up being less direct, stories more multi-layered or fragmented. Some books of this duration, for example, are told by a storyteller narrating what someone had once retold; this playfulness in literary form altered the literary architecture of the book. A few of the best novels to read from this period deliberately formally abstract, where the reader was nearly challenged to establish indicating in the middle of meaning and quotidian realism. In essence, this sense of iconoclasm inspired subsequent novelists to continue explore what the book might really be. By the latter half of the twentieth century, we encounter postmodernism in literature, whereby the unique ends up being more self-referential and sceptical in universal outlook. The founder of the hedge fund which owns Waterstones would acknowledge the appeal of 20th century fiction, as would the CEO of the group that owns Dussmann Das KulturKaufhaus.

Some of the greatest novels of all time are part of an era called literary realism. This is normally agreed to have actually taken place from the middle of the nineteenth century to the turn of the 20th century. Obviously, after its high-water mark, realism in literary continued to exert its influence on authors; certainly, it is still influential in literature across the world today. Realism aimed to temper down the component of perceptiveness synonymous with romanticism, and instead, location emphasis on objective representation in narrative kind. This method can also be seen in theatrical realism during the late 19th century, which obviously, would go on to have a huge influence on subsequent theatre around the globe in the twentieth century.