epistolary

This term describes a specific mode of communication or storytelling centered on the act of letter writing. It carries a formal, academic tone and is most frequently encountered in literary criticism to describe novels composed of documents. The feeling is one of intimacy and subjectivity, as the narrative is filtered through the personal perspective of the writer. In a modern context, the term has expanded to include digital correspondence, such as emails or text messages, when they serve as the primary structural device for a narrative. It distinguishes a story told through direct correspondence from one told through a traditional third-person or first-person narrator.