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As a reader (I'm not a writer), I find that when there are more than 3 or 4 primary characters that I need to follow, the story becomes overly complex. I read novels for pleasure; when I read nonfiction, such as a biography, I expect a gazillion characters and thus my reading becomes slower and more intense. But when I read a novel, I do not want to have to exert that same effort and intensity as the biography requires.
Too many characters are like too many cooks -- the characters spoil the plot, the cooks spoil the broth.
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