The case for novellas versus long books - Page 2

drgnbear · 01-31-2008, 05:16 PM

It depends on the Author, but for the most part. Long or at least serial. I read alot of open ended series. The Dresden Files, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, Meridith Gentry, Kevin J. Anderson's Saga of the Seven Suns (fantastic sci-fi btw)

BenG · 01-31-2008, 05:16 PM

If the book leaves you wanting more when you finish then it's the right length.

TheLongshot · 01-31-2008, 05:20 PM

Actually, I own the pop-up book version of "A Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", so there is actually a shorter version of the book.

I was also going to comment on Cryptonomicon, since that's a book that is way too long for what it is.

I think in the end, it is the quality of the writing more than anything. A good writer will usually leave you wanting more, while a not so good one will make it a chore to get through.

Jason

ottocrat · 01-31-2008, 05:28 PM

Funnily enough, I had Cryptonomicon (and even more so the Baroque Cycle) very much in mind when I was thinking of really enjoyable long reads.

I completely agree with the poster who mentioned George R. R. Martin as long=good and Robert Jordan as long=bad!

Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy is a good example of how long sci-fi can be every bit as good, if not better, than sci-fi novellas. (Mind you, his Pandora's Star series is a great example of how long sci-fi can be absolutely rubbish...)

It doesn't really depend on the genre, it depends on the story being told.

Maggie May · 01-31-2008, 05:57 PM

I find when I read a Novella I'm only getting into the story when I discover I have only a few more pages to read before the end. Then It always seems to be a very rushed and abrupt ending. I end up feeling cheated in some way, and feeling unsatisfied. I agree with Ottocrat. I find I get through a long book quicker than a short one. Some authors, their writing just seems to flow right off the page and you are carried along for the ride from page one. It's a fabulous feeling when that happens. A great escape. So my preference would be for a longer read every time. I don't have a problem finding my place when I resume reading unlike Mrs. Edelstein. How about using a Bookmark.

Mag.

carld · 01-31-2008, 06:44 PM

As others have said, a story should be as long as it needs to be. That said, I often feel a little cheated after finishing a novella. I remember reading King's "The Mist" years ago, getting to the end and flipping through the book saying "Where's the rest of it?" That was very much a story cut off far too soon. I've read the unabridged version of his book "The Stand" several times, where others complain about the length of the abridged version, I find the 1150 pager to be just about right.

mateo · 01-31-2008, 07:15 PM

I definitely prefer short stories. I have trouble getting through a novel unless I absolutely love it. There are plenty of times I read a book and I'm not really into it after 150 pages, but I've already committed so much that there's no turning back. So it turns into more of a chore than enjoyment. Short stories are great because even if they aren't that good, they're over before you know it. I usually try to buy anthologies when I can find them, and I love fiction magazines. I wish the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine had a Kindle edition!

RWood · 01-31-2008, 08:37 PM

Many writers it seems have diarrhea of the pen – they just go on and on and on -- like they are being paid by the word. Some of the best modern fiction that I have read has been novella length.

As for Cliff Notes that exceed the length of the original, I submit the case of T. S. Eliot’s The Wasteland.

astra · 02-01-2008, 04:01 AM

Didn't read anything shorter than 500 pages for ages - at least 10 years.
I like long stories.

stustaff · 02-01-2008, 04:49 AM

I love em big and long!

Now thats out of the way heres how i feel about reading...

If I read a novella thats good i want it to be longer!
If i read a long book thats ok but just tooo long i want it to be shorter.

So in summary if your an author of good stories please make them longer.
if your an other of dull stories please make them shorter and more snappy.

CommanderROR · 02-01-2008, 11:21 AM

I'll join the club of "Make it long please" here...

I don't think every books needs 1000+ pages, but some of the very best stories I've ever read (almost everything apart from Pratchett actually who writes perfect "short" books of 300 pages or less) are multi-volume and they need to be that way.

Robert Jordan is an extreme example. I like the WOT series and I have reread all the books at least twice and will reread the entire series at least one more, but the last volumes did have a slightly "stretched" feel to them.

My feeling is, that many books (especially Fantasy, and British fantasy above all) need a lot of pages to get the story going...and this is a good thing.
There is nothing I like more than a book that starts in some small village with everything being as it should be, people laughing, celebrating, doing small and unimportant things, a clean starting point from where a story full of adventure starts to roll out, slowly and then ever faster until it reaches the end after several unexpected twists and turns. The Lord of the Rings is actually a perfect example of what I expect a Fantasy book to be. The first chapters are almost totally meaningless, they do nothing but describe the scenery, a few characters and the general setting.
Remember the beginnign of "The Hobbit"?

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit...

Anything can happen, a beginning like that is just perfect.

Far too many stories start with something like:

"It was a dark and stormy night, bodies littered the battlefield and the crows were feasting..."

Pratchett would follow that sentece with some something witty about eyeballs...

Sparrow · 02-01-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocrat

Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy is a good example of how long sci-fi can be every bit as good, if not better, than sci-fi novellas. (Mind you, his Pandora's Star series is a great example of how long sci-fi can be absolutely rubbish...).

I'm currently half-way through 'Judas Unchained' - the second half of Pandora's Star - and it is absolutely brill! (As was Night's Dawn.)

DMcCunney · 02-01-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'm currently half-way through 'Judas Unchained' - the second half of Pandora's Star - and it is absolutely brill! (As was Night's Dawn.)

I second the motion on "Night's Dawn". It's a splendid piece of work. Pandora's Star in on my to read stack.

Peter is a hell of a nice guy, too.
______
Dennis

JSWolf · 02-01-2008, 12:12 PM

I've tried some sort stories recently that never were able to catch my attention. The problem was it was hard to get into them as there was no setup like you get with a full length book.

But I also read I Am Legend recently and found it just right.

DaleDe · 02-01-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've tried some sort stories recently that never were able to catch my attention. The problem was it was hard to get into them as there was no setup like you get with a full length book.

But I also read I Am Legend recently and found it just right.

the biggest sort story I know is the telephone book. Has a great cast of characters but not much plot

Dale

01-31-2008, 05:57 PM	#20
Maggie May Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,907 Karma: 87755439 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ireland Device: CYbook Gen3 and Sony PRS 3505 Kindle 3 G Nexus 7 iPad	I find when I read a Novella I'm only getting into the story when I discover I have only a few more pages to read before the end. Then It always seems to be a very rushed and abrupt ending. I end up feeling cheated in some way, and feeling unsatisfied. I agree with Ottocrat. I find I get through a long book quicker than a short one. Some authors, their writing just seems to flow right off the page and you are carried along for the ride from page one. It's a fabulous feeling when that happens. A great escape. So my preference would be for a longer read every time. I don't have a problem finding my place when I resume reading unlike Mrs. Edelstein. How about using a Bookmark. Mag. Last edited by Maggie May; 01-31-2008 at 06:00 PM. Reason: typo error

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01-31-2008, 05:16 PM	#16
drgnbear Evil alien overlord. Posts: 57 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2007 Device: Kindle	It depends on the Author, but for the most part. Long or at least serial. I read alot of open ended series. The Dresden Files, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, Meridith Gentry, Kevin J. Anderson's Saga of the Seven Suns (fantastic sci-fi btw)

01-31-2008, 05:16 PM	#17
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	If the book leaves you wanting more when you finish then it's the right length.

01-31-2008, 05:20 PM	#18
TheLongshot Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 7758 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Sony Reader	Actually, I own the pop-up book version of "A Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", so there is actually a shorter version of the book. I was also going to comment on Cryptonomicon, since that's a book that is way too long for what it is. I think in the end, it is the quality of the writing more than anything. A good writer will usually leave you wanting more, while a not so good one will make it a chore to get through. Jason

01-31-2008, 05:28 PM	#19
ottocrat Bookish Posts: 53 Karma: 189 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: Psion 5, Palm Tungsten T2, Nokia N73, Cybook Gen3	Funnily enough, I had Cryptonomicon (and even more so the Baroque Cycle) very much in mind when I was thinking of really enjoyable long reads. I completely agree with the poster who mentioned George R. R. Martin as long=good and Robert Jordan as long=bad! Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy is a good example of how long sci-fi can be every bit as good, if not better, than sci-fi novellas. (Mind you, his Pandora's Star series is a great example of how long sci-fi can be absolutely rubbish...) It doesn't really depend on the genre, it depends on the story being told.

01-31-2008, 06:44 PM	#21
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	As others have said, a story should be as long as it needs to be. That said, I often feel a little cheated after finishing a novella. I remember reading King's "The Mist" years ago, getting to the end and flipping through the book saying "Where's the rest of it?" That was very much a story cut off far too soon. I've read the unabridged version of his book "The Stand" several times, where others complain about the length of the abridged version, I find the 1150 pager to be just about right.

01-31-2008, 07:15 PM	#22
mateo Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2005 Device: Palm Zire71	I definitely prefer short stories. I have trouble getting through a novel unless I absolutely love it. There are plenty of times I read a book and I'm not really into it after 150 pages, but I've already committed so much that there's no turning back. So it turns into more of a chore than enjoyment. Short stories are great because even if they aren't that good, they're over before you know it. I usually try to buy anthologies when I can find them, and I love fiction magazines. I wish the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine had a Kindle edition!

01-31-2008, 08:37 PM	#23
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Many writers it seems have diarrhea of the pen – they just go on and on and on -- like they are being paid by the word. Some of the best modern fiction that I have read has been novella length. As for Cliff Notes that exceed the length of the original, I submit the case of T. S. Eliot’s The Wasteland.

02-01-2008, 04:01 AM	#24
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Didn't read anything shorter than 500 pages for ages - at least 10 years. I like long stories.

02-01-2008, 04:49 AM	#25
stustaff Wizard Posts: 1,055 Karma: 2110 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Derbyshire UK Device: sony reader PRS505 and 600	I love em big and long! Now thats out of the way heres how i feel about reading... If I read a novella thats good i want it to be longer! If i read a long book thats ok but just tooo long i want it to be shorter. So in summary if your an author of good stories please make them longer. if your an other of dull stories please make them shorter and more snappy.

02-01-2008, 11:21 AM	#26
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	I'll join the club of "Make it long please" here... I don't think every books needs 1000+ pages, but some of the very best stories I've ever read (almost everything apart from Pratchett actually who writes perfect "short" books of 300 pages or less) are multi-volume and they need to be that way. Robert Jordan is an extreme example. I like the WOT series and I have reread all the books at least twice and will reread the entire series at least one more, but the last volumes did have a slightly "stretched" feel to them. My feeling is, that many books (especially Fantasy, and British fantasy above all) need a lot of pages to get the story going...and this is a good thing. There is nothing I like more than a book that starts in some small village with everything being as it should be, people laughing, celebrating, doing small and unimportant things, a clean starting point from where a story full of adventure starts to roll out, slowly and then ever faster until it reaches the end after several unexpected twists and turns. The Lord of the Rings is actually a perfect example of what I expect a Fantasy book to be. The first chapters are almost totally meaningless, they do nothing but describe the scenery, a few characters and the general setting. Remember the beginnign of "The Hobbit"? In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... Anything can happen, a beginning like that is just perfect. Far too many stories start with something like: "It was a dark and stormy night, bodies littered the battlefield and the crows were feasting..." Pratchett would follow that sentece with some something witty about eyeballs...

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02-01-2008, 12:12 PM	#29
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,760 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've tried some sort stories recently that never were able to catch my attention. The problem was it was hard to get into them as there was no setup like you get with a full length book. But I also read I Am Legend recently and found it just right.