While I revere Madame de Lafayette, I feel that the novel, in particular, is due for a change. One way to do this is to rely on the shorthand now possible due to exposure to visual mediums such as movies and television and now the World Wide Web. I have regained my footing after initially being bowled over by the ability to use images and theatrical techniques. I've been combining images and text, letting them inspire each other. That seems to work best for poetry and heuristic writing.
Fiction requires a sustained narrative.
Of course, it can be broken at intervals. Looking at the history of literature, I would argue that formal breaks have always existed. Still, the weight is on the narrative and this textual line requires concentration. Images work best operating at intervals or tangentially. I would argue when the image becomes equal or superior the work will veer toward poetry.