A fragmentary novel is a novel made of fragments, vignettes, segments, documents or chapters that can be read in isolation and/or as part of the greater whole of the book.
These novels typically lack a traditional plot or set of characters and often are the product of a cultural crisis.
[1][2][3][4][5][6] The oldest fragmentary novels are part of the (proto)-picaresque novel tradition.
[7][8] Some of these fragmented novels are also categorized as short story collections or epistolary novels.
Some fragmentary novels are (posthumously) published unfinished novels or are partially lost novels.