Not exactly
a new question, but it always comes up again. Should anyone need more than a few hundred pages to tell a good story?
Mrs.
Edelstein from the Guardian Books blog is an outspoken proponent of efficient novellas, and she also
explains why:
Quote:
And who could deny that the actual experience of reading a long book can feel a little arduous if it doesn't really make your heart sing? It is much like eating a delicious meal in an American restaurant - lovely, but you have to leave at least quarter of the portion behind or else you'll explode.
[...]
Readable in a couple of hours, a novella demands far less time than a full-length novel: you can get through them in the same amount of time it takes to watch a film or two reality television programmes. If you read one in bed you can actually finish it in one go, as opposed to reading the same few chapters repeatedly because you keep forgetting what you covered the night before. And best all, an upswing in the publication of novellas would not confirm the prejudices of those who rail against the dumbing-down of literature: novellas require an intelligent author and an intelligent reader to appreciate the power of brevity.
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Some people like a long read. Some don't. On which side are you?
[via
SF Signal]