A novel is an invented story about a series of connected events in the lives of a group of people.
What sets it apart from a short story is that it is longer, more complex, and deals with more than one issue in the lives of its characters. What sets it apart from a play is that it is not confined by the restrictions of the stage, human actors and the audience. What sets it apart from poetry is that it is written in prose form.
The "Tale of Genji", by Murasaki Shikibu (a Japanese noblewoman), was written in the early 11th century and is usually considered to be the world's first novel, though many Greek and Latin narratives may also fit that description, including The Golden Ass by Apuleius, a 2nd century Latin author from North Africa.
Miguel Cervantes is credited with writing the first Western novel, Don Quixote, the first part of which was published in 1605. In it we find the characteristics that even today make up a novel.
The first English language novelist was Daniel Defoe who wrote Robinson Crusoe in 1719.
The novel comes in innumerable genres. Some of the most popular ones are:
See: literature, the short story, theater, and poetry