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Generally speaking, a novel is composed of three elements: dialogue, action and exposition (explanation).
I don't think there are any rules in writing that have to be followed, but what I've been taught is that the three elements should be in a rough balance.
I don't consciously think about this when writing, but I'd say that most of what I've written follows this rule -- and probably because I've unconsciously picked it up from reading.
When I read something that is heavily weighted one way or the other, I do find that it becomes a bit tedious. For example, at the moment I am reading Jeffrey Eugenides "The Virgin Suicides", which is almost all exposition. It's a good book, but it just stays on this one tone, and you get to a point where you've had enough of it.
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