Under focus in the present paper is the novel of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The purpose of the study is to introduce the context within which the art and literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries underwent a series of significant, even radical changes. Furthermore, the study considers modernism, which as a literary movement represents fresh, bold approaches and techniques, a new, panoramic point of view and advanced literary and critical theories. It departs significantly from the traditions of the Victorian period, rejecting its realism and conservatism.