This latter type was introduced by the critic Menno ter Braak for books published during the last days of naturalism, which were usually written by female authors.

In these books the most pronounced naturalistic features were so weakened that what remained was a simple, but realistic story concerning the fortunes of a family.

Ina Boudier-Bakker was considered a master in this genre, and earned her nickname "Queen of the Dutch women's novel",[citation needed].

Menno ter Braak put himself strongly against "the cozy living room of the psychological novel".

there is not much appreciation for her work – a contemporary literary historian qualified it as "just as abundant as uniform".