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Exceptions?

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I don't like to read novellas. They're too short. Even well-written and well done, I will rarely read a novella. I prefer long and involved stories.  And I've always hated short stories.

Every once in awhile we make exceptions to our "soft" rules. They're movable. They're not critical. They have no dangerous side effects – at least in the case of long or short novels, they don't.

I don't even like to read short novels that hover between a novella and a medium length novel, but I've read more than a few.

Christian fiction has produced some longer novels, but usually they're written by the blockbuster authors who sell well. Again, exceptions surface but not often.

I don't have an indisputable reason for preferring the longer novels. The very reason I love some of them is because of the minute details concerning locations, characters, and situations. Give me well-developed and defined characters and you've definitely got my attention. I love subtleties in writing them. How they stand, expressions, asides, you name it. If unique or even commonplace characteristics or defining moments come from the author's words, I'm entranced.

However, if I'm supposed to review a novel that happens to be long where none of the above qualities exist, it's a struggle to grind through the pages. If an author chooses to write a long story, they risk losing readers who don't wish to spend much time on a novel. Long intense thrillers are most likely to maintain a reader's attention. 

Tuesday musings on reading books and stories . . .

 

Father, help us to write what you have for each of us to do. You've made us unique. You have specific desires and plans for us. May we fulfill them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

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4 responses to “Exceptions?”

  1. Brenda Anderson Avatar
    Brenda Anderson

    I’m with you. I’d much rather read full-length novel, one where I can immerse myself (assuming I have time to read!). I love complex, multi-faceted characters, which are difficult to write in a short story.
    But it seems the short story is making a comeback with so many books coming out now with multiple stories & authors.

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  2. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    I know, Bren. Maybe accommodating those who just want to zip through a story with little time to reflect or invest in the characters, etc. It seems those who enjoy writing and reading short stories – particularly the literary type of story – hold themselves “above” the novel readers and writers, not admitting to it of course. (And JMO.)

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  3. BK Jackson Avatar
    BK Jackson

    By nature I lean toward longer novels, but I don’t have a hard and fast rule against short stories or novellas. Even with novels, I rarely find one that wows me, but the track record is even more abysmal for short stories and novellas.
    Sometimes I wonder why I bother reading fiction since it seems next to impossible to find something with the wow factor. I guess it’s about settling for good or OK books.
    I just finished a novel but a pretty well established author. On the one hand, I gave her credit for writing something that was a bit different, a bit challenging–more so than the average fare. But then she concluded the novel not just in an incomplete way, as is commonly and annoyingly done with series fiction, the ending just didn’t even make any sense. It’s unfortunate. She had mostly well developed characters, but the book was ended so poorly I have no interest in reading the rest of the series, despite the fact that I liked most of the characters. What a waste.
    Sometimes I get the feeling writers who contract with traditional publishers just sling together whatever to meet the deadline and put it out there. Another reason to self-publish, so you can write (or at least give a good faith effort to writing) a satisfying ending to a novel.

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  4. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    “Sometimes I get the feeling writers who contract with traditional publishers just sling together whatever to meet the deadline and put it out there.” I’ve wondered about that myself.
    I’ve had more disappointments lately in my reading endeavors. Books that should’ve taken a few days to read drag on because I’m not really into them. Hoping to find a few that grab me soon.
    And those endings in series that leave me totally hanging irritate me. But those that don’t make sense? That would be frustrating. I’ve read some first books in a series and stopped there. But to have it well-written with characters you enjoy and have it fall apart at the end? Annoying.

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