Do you like Long or Short?

[GeoffC]

Shogun was a long read....

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Shogun was a long read....

Long is relative. Compared to a pulp novel of the 1950s and 60s, yes it was long. Compared to some of the multi-volume epics that are common in the Fantasy Genre... it was quite terse .

--
Bill

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by simonroyle

One of the things I have been pondering on is whether the idea of the "ideal" length of a novel has been determined by our culture or the "risk" cost of paper.

I like a "good" thick, door-stopper, something that really grips for ages. Of course the story is what matters, but I think there's enough evidence to say the business of publishing books has established "risk standards" that have led to an overall shortening of the length of the average novel.

What do you think?

I have avoided "doorstoppers" since I can remember (even in teenage years.) I like to read books in a single sitting or perhaps two, at most three settings unless I am traveling. A doorstopper just looks like work to me, while a good book at about 80 to maybe 95 or so--that's a few hours by the pool, a lounge day with cakes and tea...it's a day off. Anything that takes me more than about 6 hours just isn't my cuppa.

(I have read and enjoyed a few doorstoppers such as LOTR, but they are exceptions that I read when much younger. Time is even more critical to me now and I do check the number of locations. I simply don't want a book that is too long for my time allotment.)

[thymaster]

I'm all about the drama. I prefer long because there is more room to describe the characters so I can have a personal love hate relationship with them. Haha.

[Soldim]

I'd like a novel to continue as long as it can entertain me. As soon as it stops being entertaining it can end That's why I like sequels and series where each individual book as a proper story; I can stop after any individual book.

[theducks]

One of the advantages of my e-reader, is:


a Vely Long Novel is just as light as a 2 Stanza poem

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by simonroyle

What is interesting to me about the answers coming back is I suspected that people do like long books, but agents consistently say that they will reject a novel based on word count alone.

The result of this survey so far, indicates that "debut" authors going the trad publishing route are at a disadvantage with a large portion of readers who like long novels.

You also have to consider the source, meaning that most of the people here are so into reading we've gone out and spent hundreds of dollars and high tech ways to read/carry more books. I'd bet you results would be much different if you took this pole over to some less reading oriented site.

[opitzs]

If the story has me tied to my seat, then it should be long. I have read good novels that were short, of course. However I like to read about the lives of people, fictional or otherwise, and most lives last a bit longer than 2 days

[ManosHandsOfFate]

Would any authors out there care to comment on whether they find it easier to write long or or short fiction?

[Pomtroll]

If a book is good I don't care how long it is. Some days I like to read short novels (about 200 pages) but other times I love a long one. I'm talking 600-1000 pages for a long one.

[simonroyle]

Originally Posted by dsvick

You also have to consider the source, meaning that most of the people here are so into reading we've gone out and spent hundreds of dollars and high tech ways to read/carry more books. I'd bet you results would be much different if you took this pole over to some less reading oriented site.

Yes, agreed. However it is an observation in real world too. I took this survey to a physical level and using my usual incredibly scientific methods placed three very thick books and three very slim books on a table in a bookstore (said bookstore shall remain unnamed for fear of reprisal). I then planted myself nearby with a Cappuccino and watched. Almost without fail people looked at the thick books first (only one person stubbornly picked up all three slim books before paying attention to the thick books).

Now one could say that people in a bookstore are also people who are really into reading and I'd have to agree with you - the only other place I can think of is the bookstore at the airport that I regularly travel through.