
We all know that it’s wrong to snoop, but sometimes books offer a harmless peek into the main characters’ lives via letters, journal entries, or other personal documents.
Books that use this format are known as epistolary novels, and they can make for quite an exciting read, offering us unique perspectives from which we can watch the story unfold.
Epistolary Novels
Below are 10 epistolary novels that use letters and other documents to tell a story, plus a sneak peek at one of TCK Publishing’s newest books.
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Throughout his freshman year of high school, 15-year-old Charlie writes letters to an unknown recipient, whom he simply addresses as “Friend.”
In addition to the loss of his favorite aunt and tragic suicide of his only friend from middle school, Charlie documents the rollercoaster experience of coming of age in high school, from first dates and mixed tapes to family dramas and new friends.
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker uses everything from journal entries to ships’ logs and newspaper clippings to create the chilling narrative that is Dracula.
The 1897 novel tells the story of the famous Count’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England so he can find fresh blood and spread the undead curse.
3. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Shelley’s classic novel opens with correspondence between Captain Robert Walton and his sister, Margaret Walton Saville.
Captain Walton, a failed writer, recounts his recent expedition to the North Pole, during which his crew rescues an emaciated man named Victor Frankenstein, who is in pursuit of the gigantic man the crew spotted earlier.
Frankenstein sees in Walton the same obsession that has destroyed his life, and tells his story as a warning. This recounted story serves as the frame for Frankenstein’s narrative.
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows
In 1946 London, writer Juliet Ashton is searching for the subject of her next book. She finds inspiration in her new correspondence with a man who found her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.
Through their letters, Juliet is drawn into this man’s world, and his eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—an alibi he and his friends created when the Germans found them breaking curfew.
Juliet sets sail for Guernsey to meet this fascinating society, and what she finds there will change her life forever.
5. The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian is an epistolary novel composed of astronaut Mark Watney’s daily mission logs. After being left on Mars by his team who thought him dead, Mark must find a way to survive on the hostile planet.
From his attempts to grow potatoes to his engineering efforts, Mark draws on his own ingenuity and resilience to confront one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after another.
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Color Purple consists of letters mainly written between sisters Celie and Nettie. In the beginning of the novel, Celie addresses her letters to God, asking him why she must endure the physical and sexual abuse by her father.
For years, Celie does not receive a response from her sister, but later learns that her husband had been hiding Nettie’s letters.
The rage Celie feels at this discovery, combined with the love she receives from her close friend Shug, finally pushes toward an awakening of true self.
7. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Told through the personal progress reports of Charlie, a bakery worker with a very low IQ, this classic epistolary novel follows the consequences of a scientific experiment to make him smarter.
The same experiment appears to have worked on a lab mouse named Algernon, and as his own treatment begins, Charlie’s intelligence also grows rapidly until he surpasses the very doctors who are treating him.
But as he watches Algernon suddenly deteriorate, Charlie worries that he’ll meet the same fate.
8. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Bernadette Fox is a highly successful architect and mother to 15-year-old Bee. But when her daughter presents a perfect report card and is ready to cash in on the prize she was promised—a family trip to Antarctica—Bernadette suddenly disappears.
Bernadette has become practically allergic Seattle, and to people in general. Her agoraphobia would make a trip to Antarctica virtually impossible.
Bee sets out to find her mother through emails, official documents, and secret correspondences. But will she ever find her crazy mother? And is she really the crazy one anyway?
9. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
After calling the cops on her school’s end-of-summer party, Melinda Sordino is ostracized by her classmates, but she won’t tell them why she busted the party.
The truth is that at the party, she was raped by an upperclassman who still attends the school. Melinda tells her story through her diary entries, which create a nonlinear plot and jumpy narrative that mimics her trauma.
10. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Through vignettes, diary entries, and illustrations, Everything, Everything reveals the touching story of a girl with a severe immune disorder that prevents her from ever leaving her home.
Madeline is 18. She can’t go outside or see anyone except her mother and nurse, Carla. But when Olly moves in next door, she quickly realizes he might be the biggest risk she’ll ever take.
The Devil’s Whispers: A New Epistolary Novel
We’re excited to announce the release of a new gothic horror novel that’s also an epistolary novel!
The Devil’s Whispers delivers an eerie tale through a series of letters and journal entries, most of which are written by the protagonist, the famed British lawyer Gerard Woodward.
Summoned to an ancient Welsh castle to assist a dying lord in his final affairs, Gerard quickly begins to feel like prisoner. But after he finds a way out of his room, he realizes he may have been safer locked inside.
While Gerard works to uncover the sinister secrets that seem to be hidden within the castle, children are going missing and animals are turning up horribly mutilated in nearby London as a savage creature stalks the shadows.
When Gerard’s own wife becomes the creature’s next target, Gerard must find a way out to save his beloved Raelyn and the rest of the country.
The Devil’s Whispers by Lucas Hault will be released on February 20, 2022, but you can preorder your copy today!
Do you have a favorite epistolary novel? Share it with us in the comments below!
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As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.