Verisimilitude: noun - apparently true or real, resemblance
to truth, reality, or fact; realistic quality, probability; a statement that has the mere appearance or show of being
true or factual, an apparent truth.
‘Most writers rely on verisimilitude to draw their readers
into the fictional world of their novels, hoping that their suspension of
disbelief will carry them through the events of the book.’
The classical, literary
notion of verisimilitude focusses on the role of the reader engaging with the
fictional work of art. The novel should offer a pleasurable experience to the
reader by facilitating the reader’s willingness to suspend disbelief. Verisimilitude
is the means of achieving this mindset. To promote the willing suspension of
disbelief, fiction needs to be credible. Something that’s physically
possible in the worldview of the reader can be defined as credible. Through
verisimilitude, the reader can glean truth even in fiction because it reflects
realistic aspects of life.
Pic: Humber estuary at Hessle, East Yorkshire.
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