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IT’S NOT THE LENGTH SO MUCH AS THE WIDTH
Mar. 9th, 2015 09:17 pmInteresting post from io9 on the topic of novel length: How long is too long?
Put another way, could George RR Martin chop 300 pages off the average Game of Thrones novel and still be as good?
The answer is subjective, of course. I’ve seen several published authors and publishing industry experts say that novels should ideally be around 300 pages long, on average. Then again, there are any number of authors whose novels routinely range from 700 to 1,000+ pages (GRRM, Stephen King, Peter F. Hamilton, Neal Stephenson, etc) – and that’s not counting book series that are essentially one long novel divided into x number of installments. And as these authors tend to sell well, clearly it’s not an issue for fans of their work. Some fans think 1,000 pages isn’t nearly enough.
For myself, I confess that length can be a barrier when I select a book. For a start, there’s the weight issue. Thick books weigh more than average-length books. That matters when you have to carry a backpack around all day like I do.
More seriously, thick books require a certain level of commitment. I don’t have a specific limit, but generally if it’s over 500 pages, it had better be from an author I know I’ll like, or a topic I really want to read about. And it had better make good use of all those pages. Otherwise I don’t know if I want to invest my time in a doorstop novel.
I feel the same way about book series. I don't want to read Book 1 of something and like it only to feel locked in to Books 2 through 9 just to find out how the whole saga ends. It doesn’t mean I avoid them – I just need some extra incentive to commit myself.
At the same time, I have a problem with books that are too short – at least when they’re priced around the same as a book that’s within normal parameters. For example, I can see paying $12.00 RRP for Hunter S Thompson’s Fear & Loathing On The Campaign Trail ’72 (496 pages) – I have trouble paying the same amount for, say, Screwjack (59 pages).
Which is silly, I know. Books generally aren’t priced by page count (as far as I know), so that’s an unfair benchmark. And it’s not like HST doesn't deserve a $12.00 RRP regardless of page count. But some defect in my mind makes me want value for money, I guess. Maybe I see it as the same difference between buying a 45 single and an LP. I don’t know.
All I can add is that Elmore Leonard had a point.
TL;DR,
This is dF
Put another way, could George RR Martin chop 300 pages off the average Game of Thrones novel and still be as good?
The answer is subjective, of course. I’ve seen several published authors and publishing industry experts say that novels should ideally be around 300 pages long, on average. Then again, there are any number of authors whose novels routinely range from 700 to 1,000+ pages (GRRM, Stephen King, Peter F. Hamilton, Neal Stephenson, etc) – and that’s not counting book series that are essentially one long novel divided into x number of installments. And as these authors tend to sell well, clearly it’s not an issue for fans of their work. Some fans think 1,000 pages isn’t nearly enough.
For myself, I confess that length can be a barrier when I select a book. For a start, there’s the weight issue. Thick books weigh more than average-length books. That matters when you have to carry a backpack around all day like I do.
More seriously, thick books require a certain level of commitment. I don’t have a specific limit, but generally if it’s over 500 pages, it had better be from an author I know I’ll like, or a topic I really want to read about. And it had better make good use of all those pages. Otherwise I don’t know if I want to invest my time in a doorstop novel.
I feel the same way about book series. I don't want to read Book 1 of something and like it only to feel locked in to Books 2 through 9 just to find out how the whole saga ends. It doesn’t mean I avoid them – I just need some extra incentive to commit myself.
At the same time, I have a problem with books that are too short – at least when they’re priced around the same as a book that’s within normal parameters. For example, I can see paying $12.00 RRP for Hunter S Thompson’s Fear & Loathing On The Campaign Trail ’72 (496 pages) – I have trouble paying the same amount for, say, Screwjack (59 pages).
Which is silly, I know. Books generally aren’t priced by page count (as far as I know), so that’s an unfair benchmark. And it’s not like HST doesn't deserve a $12.00 RRP regardless of page count. But some defect in my mind makes me want value for money, I guess. Maybe I see it as the same difference between buying a 45 single and an LP. I don’t know.
All I can add is that Elmore Leonard had a point.
TL;DR,
This is dF
