Epistolary novels rose to fame in England in the eighteenth century, but the genre was outmoded by the year 1800. In response to social change, their popularity increased. After around 1700, a large number of upper class women attained a high degree of reading and had more free time than their foremothers. Visits, letters filled with news from friends and family, reading, and stitching kept the time occupied. Naturally, two of these passions fueled the development of this literary subgenre. Epistolary novels, which are typically written in the form of letters, may also contain diary entries. By mimicking actual events, authors can convey a sense of reality. Without relying on all-knowing, constantly present narrators, letters helped create story, shift viewpoints, and highlight characteristics of character. The most common sort of polylogic books had simultaneous contributions from three or more "writers." This made it possible to apply the technique of "discrepant awareness," in which the reader and some characters are aware of facts that have not yet been revealed to others. The typical subject matter of epistolary books in the eighteenth century was romance, which exposed the genre to severe mockery. Loss of popularity was consequently caused by altered leisure habits, derision, a more pragmatic outlook, and a desire for a more narrative approach. Despite this, the epistolary book was nonetheless popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and it seems to be making a comeback again. One advantage of the novel's epistolary form was that authors could:
