From the discussion of ideas on the historical condition of the novel, focusing on those qualities that allow to invite its use as a source for cultural history, the author visit issues of literature, fiction and the life experience of novelists, as well as it reveals the relationship between the characteristics of the information that provides the novel and the particularities of the interests of cultural history, with the dual purpose build an argumentative acquis for use and to encourage consensus on validity, legitimacy and relevance of that resource.