Buy Drama Fiction Books Online & Trace the Journey of Indian English Drama

Drama is a form of literature that is written in a way to be performed in front an audience. It portrays fictional or non-fictional events in poetry or prose. For example, Shakespeare’s dramas like Hamlet and King Lear contain a story formed by a mixture of poetry and prose. A drama can be performed on a stage, on the radio or on TV, and is usually called a play. It is structured into scenes and acts, and includes dialogues and stage directions. The author of a drama or play is called a dramatist or playwright.

Here is what to expect from drama books like those on Bookscape.com that are a unique type of literary form that can help the reader experience the story with dialogue and spatial setting. Here is all you need to know about thespian literature.

What are Drama Fiction Books

Drama—also referred to as a play—features characters that interact in a series of events that make up the trajectory of the storyline. Plays and novels have this in common. However, a play can be based on a novel, and vice versa. Though, the narrator of a novel can spend pages detailing out the settings and events for the reader to feel fully immersed, a play is bound to the space on the stage and the time frame of the performance.

Dramas usually feature the character(s) in conflict or at a crucial moment in their lives. Most dramas casts family members and the storyline outline the familial struggles that end in tragic or painful resolutions. While drama is a crossover genre, it reflects common themes like religion, intolerance, poverty, class issues, violence, corruption and more.

Common Genres of Drama

Drama books can be classified into the following genres:

Comedy

Comedy dramas traditionally feature light-hearted silly or satirical themes where the characters triumph over adversity. For example, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Tragedy

Tragedies are dramas that are serious in nature and show suffering and death. Readers can recognize tragedy dramas by their noble characters who have a downfall, formal language in iambic pentameter, and funerary scenes. For example, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Tragicomedy

A tragicomedy can be defined as the combination of a comedy and a tragedy. Tragicomedies are complex dramas that have a serious storyline told in a sardonic or sarcastic way. Most characters act in a classically comedic fashion though the overall theme remains ambiguous. This type of drama does not have a happy nor comic ending. For example, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Historical

Historical drama is based on a historically significant event or showers glory on the heroic deeds of individuals or people. It is also called a chronicle play or epic. While historical dramas are usually tragedies, they may include elements of comedy or romance. For example, Schiller's Mary Stuart or William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Melodrama

A melodrama is synonymous with what we imagine when we hear the word ‘drama’ as it tells a serious story in a serious tone though in a larger-than-life kind of way. The flawed characters must overcome their faults to reach the resolution of an ending that can be happy or unhappy. For example, The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1) by Lemony Snicket and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.

Musical

Musical dramas have a standard storyline that is interrupted by songs. The storylines are usually comedic or dramatic with interjecting songs as plot-changing devices. There is lots of singing and dancing with characters often singing in unison to progress the plot. It’s important to note that musical dramas and operas are distinctly different from each other. For example, A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath and The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers.

Opera

Operas are dramas in which the entire story is sung rather than spoken. It can incorporate dance, but typically relies of singing (non-melodic passage can drive the plot forward). Operas are also known for their elaborate sets, costumes and production quality. For example, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale and Madame Butterfly was written by American lawyer and writer John Luther Long.

Distinguishing Features of Drama

The following are the key features of a drama book:

• Meant to be read as well as theatrically performed
• Emphasis on dialogue, character and stage direction
• May include elements of music, dance, art, poetry and prose
• Interaction with the audience is often indirect or symbolic, provoking thought and introspection
• Usually fictional, though may include nonfiction or be inspired by true stories or historical events

FAQs about Drama Fiction Books

If you have questions about great drama fiction books, Bookscape has you covered. With over a million titles from 700+ publishers and an ever-growing catalogue, you’re sure to find your next favourite drama novel here. Bookscape is home to the greatest dramatics fiction books ever written and it should be your one-stop shop for buying books online at best prices. We can help you navigate through the wide world of drama books, be it romance, historical, tragedy, comedy and more. Let us answer some popular questions in choosing the best dramatic fiction books:

Is drama a type of book?

Drama is a genre of narrative fiction most commonly represented by performances than by being read. Literary drama may be defined as a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play. 2. the branch of literature having such compositions as its subject; dramatic art or representation.

This genre can be qualified by the many sub-genres: legal drama, domestic drama, comedy-drama, political drama or historical period drama. Each of these represents a specific setting or subject matter.

What is difference between a novel and drama?

The key difference between a novel and drama is that a novel is written in prose and meant to be read, while a drama is written as prose or poetry and is meant to be read and performed. A novel will combine narration and dialogue to tell the story while drama books rely on dialogue alone. Lastly, novels are divided into chapters, and drama books are comprised of acts and scenes.

Best Drama Fiction Books of All Time

William’s Shakespeare’s works like Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing and more are always among the top drama books but there are surely others that are popular choices:

• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
• A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Antigone by Sophocles
• The Glass Menagerie by Arthur Miller
• Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
• The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini

You can find these books and more here

Popular Indian Drama Books

Right from our mythological epic poetry like the Mahabharata and Ramayana that are enacted as dramas even today, Indian classical drama books in prose and poetry are plentiful. Indian playwrights have written dramatic literature and performance as have modern Indian dramatists like Girish Karnad who are at the forefront of Indian English drama. Here are some examples of drama in English literature by Indian authors:

• Tughlaq: A Play in Thirteen Scenes by Girish Karnad
• Ramayana by Vālmīki
• Silence! The Court is in Session by Priya Vijay Tendulkar
• Evam Indrajit: Three-act Play by Badal Sircar
• The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore
• Kanyadaan by Vijay Tendulkar
• The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
• Fire and the Rain by Girish Karnad
• Red Oleanders by Rabindranath Tagore

You can find these books and more at Bookscape.com

You can also check out Bookscape’s drama bestsellers here

What are some of the new books in the drama category?

You can find the latest books in our New Arrivals section. Click here to find out.