What is a novel, and why does it matter? Does it matter at all? Instead of approaching literature through the analysis of classics, this course aims to facilitate thought about some of the biggest questions surrounding the art of the novel. Through a survey of the novel's origins, basic elements, "rules," genres, and history, we will seek to distinguish the novel from other forms of writing and of art in general in order to understand the essence of the novel as an artform. Its roll in relation to time and space, as well as fiction's relation to reality in general, will be brought into question. What it means or takes to become a novelist, as well as a novel-reader, will help to sculpt an idea of how the author and the audience work together to create the artform. Theories of popular figures will be investigated. Finally, we will ask: Can novels merely show us the truth of an existence that we cannot change, or can the novel in its form give our lives more meaning than they already have? Or, perhaps, are novels more harmful than they are helpful? This course will, hopefully, help inspire a student to write their own novel.