Novel in Augustans
The Augustans didn't just copy classical writers—they also invented new genres. Like the novel, folks.
That's right: we can officially date the beginning of the English novel to the time of the Augustans.
Ever heard of a little old book called Robinson Crusoe? Well, some people say that's officially the first novel as we know it in the English language, and it was written by Daniel Defoe, an Augustan through and through.
Sure, there were long prose works before the Augustans came along, but it's the Augustans who made the novel what it is today. One reason for this was that Augustan writers brought the techniques associated with journalism (which was also a booming business in that day and age) and applied them to fiction. After this, novels became a lot more realistic—just the way they tend to be these days.
Shmoops:
A lot of smarty-pants scholars say that Daniel Defoe was one of the first writers to develop realism in the novel. For an example, check out these realistic descriptions of the natural world in Robinson Crusoe.
Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels is a novel, a satire, and an adventure story all rolled into one. Check out how all of these elements come together in this analysis of the novel.