psychological novel

noun

1. a novel that focuses on the complex mental and emotional lives of its characters and explores the various levels of mental activity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychological novel¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Eliot wrote the seminal psychological novel “Middlemarch,” a matchless magnum opus Virginia Woolf famously considered “one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”

From New York Times

Daniel Menaker was the author of several books, including the memoir “My Mistake” and the comic psychological novel “The Treatment,” adapted into a 2007 movie starring Chris Eigeman and Ian Holm.

From Washington Times

Daniel Menaker was the author of several books, including the memoir “My Mistake” and the comic psychological novel “The Treatment,” adapted into a 2007 movie starring Chris Eigeman and Ian Holm.

From Seattle Times

Immediately, we’re taken out of the sense of interiority we associate with the psychological novel.

From The Guardian

It’s a masterful psychological novel, full of rich characterization and a surprisingly gripping narrative.

From Los Angeles Times