We all know what a novel is. Right? We've all read them--some of us only because we had to for school, some of us because we enjoy getting lost in a story. But surely, we can explain what a novel is. Easy peasy.
Or is it? What exactly are the characteristics of a book that make it a novel? Write your own definition and add it as a comment on this post. Consider length, genre, and any other components you think are characteristic of novels. Be as specific and thorough in your definition as possible. And whatever you do, don't look it up in a dictionary or google the word to see what other people have to say. I'm interested in finding out what you think a novel is, how you would describe a novel to someone who didn't understand the difference between it and a short story, movie, podcast, or any other medium of storytelling.
Let's see if together we can actually define what a novel is. It's not as easy as you might think.
A novel to me is a book written by an author. Novels are longer than short stories and more detailed and have a much more depth to them than short stories do. Short stories do not go into as much detail as novels do. Novels also have more characters and have much more events happen in the story than a short story does. Novels are much longer than short stories are because of all the detail that is put into them and they also have more characters and more events and things that happen in the stories that would make them a novel. In novels there are more than one or two main characters, you get to know multiple characters and how they interact with the other characters in the novel. A novel is also written in a different style than a short story would be written and they are usually written from a different time era than short stories are written. Novels are written over a broader time span because it takes more time for the events in the novel to happen, where as in a short story the events happen quicker and are often a shorter time span. There are many different kinds of novels that authors write, there are mysteries and there are fairy tell novels. There are also murder novels and love stories. There are many kinds of novels because there many different types of authors who like to write about different things and there is also many different types of people who like to read different kinds of novels. Novels often have great stories to them and have great adventure where the characters go on big journeys to help save people and the characters are often famous from the novels that they are in because the readers all remember the main characters in the novels.
ReplyDeleteI think a novel is a book that consists of a story. It can be about a story that is made up (fiction), or about something that actually happened (non-fiction). Novels are typically longer in length and aren’t typically meant to provide lots of information. Their main purpose is to tell a story and their main goal is to keep the reader interested. There are novels written for different age groups so that everyone can have the opportunity to read a novel. A novel is meant to open the mind of the reader and to bring out their true creativity and imagination. They are meant to make the reader truly think. A novel is to a writer like a canvas is to a painter. They can use their imagination to truly make their own personal form of art. Art that will hopefully inspire others.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a reflection of ideas; a growth and change in an author’s perception that leaves a story to tell. Many novels I have read are reflections of the authors’ lives without being a direct autobiography. It is a story or stories they have heard; something that gives light to what they already wanted to tell.
ReplyDeleteNovels often give advice. Whether it be through struggles within the self, family, lover, or life, a novel seems to offer a new perspective on how to handle particular situations. Novels can bring us to places we have never been and offer guidance in unexpected ways. It is the reality of what is best in the eyes of the author.
As these authors write their novels, they are opening themselves up to more ideas and conveying these new ideas to the readers. A novel can be therapeutic and heartbreaking all at once. It lets us see life in ways we have never known. When considering what the true, literate definition of a novel might be, I assume that somewhere it will say “a story”. Not just any story, but a valuable one. They bring us close to people we never considered previously.
I think that a novel is a way to tell a story. Novels are usually made-up stories, or fiction, although some novels can also be based on true events. In order for a book to be considered a novel, it should have the basic parts of a story: a beginning, middle, and end. There should also be more information about the characters and setting of the story throughout the entire thing. All novels should be broken up into different parts, or chapters, in order to help the reader from becoming confused when the writer jumps from one subject to another. Each chapter could contain information about different stories within the main story, they could contain background information as well as things that are happening, or will happen. Some chapters may even be told through the voice of the different characters in the story. The novel should also have a conflict of some type occurring, whether it is character versus character, character versus self, character versus nature, or any other type of conflict that may happen. In order for a story to be a novel, the conflict should also be resolved by the end of book, or it could be resolved in another addition of the novel, which would result in multiple books all with the same characters and story line. I do not believe that there is a page length that could determine what a novel is or not. Many novels, however, are typically more than 100 pages. I think that a story could be considered a novel if it was only 90-100 pages as long as all the basic parts are covered. There can be, and are, novels written about every genre imaginable. All that must take place between genres is that a story must be told and the reader should be able to use their imagination to play the story in their head as they are reading it.
ReplyDeleteTo me, a novel is a narrative that tells a story. A novel can be written in different genres such as love, mystery, drama, historical, scientific, art, etc. Novel styles can almost be played with and expanded into whatever the author is feeling. Some novels are easy readers and others can be long and intense. Most novels that I have come across have been longer pieces to read. A novel has characters that help tell the story and help the reader follow along with the story. They help you picture what is going on in your head, almost like your there. Novels always seem to have critics, meaning people who talk about them and discuss the idea and how well it was written. I’ve noticed a lot of magazine articles that talk about novels.
ReplyDeleteI never thought that defining the word “novel” would be this hard but it is! So many thoughts run through my head when thinking about it.
In the simplest terms a novel is a fictional story in writing longer than 100 pages that has characters. A novel contains a beginning, middle and an end. The novel differs from written mediums like short stories and novellas only in length. Due to the advanced length of many novels a longer more in depth plot is needed. The most important part of most novels is character development. In short stories or movies character development is less important. In movies character development is less important because watching a movie is a passive activity. Even if a person is not enjoying a movie they at least find themselves distracted by the images they are seeing. A short story has lower levels of character development simply because the length barely allows for the dominant personality traits to become known to the reader. Another important component of novels is genre. Some genres like thrillers and fantasy have fairly straightforward structure and the reader is capable of following all the twists and turns of the plot. However, some genres like the modernist genre of fiction employed by writers like Joyce and Faulkner can seem almost incomprehensible at times due to experimentation with style and technique. Another thing a novel needs is a narrator. The narrator is the lens through which the reader sees the world of the story. The narrator can be a plot tool, such as an unreliable first person narrator that is actually engaged in the events of the story. One of the most common types of narrators used in novels is omniscient. Omniscient narrators know things about the characters that even the character themselves may not know. In a story with an omniscient narrator the reader is made aware of the thoughts, motivations, and feelings of the characters within the story. The most important role of a novel is to express facets of the human condition that we may not have been able to comprehend on our own.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a story that is told by an author in great detail to convey to the reader a message or a feeling. To me a novel is a way in which someone not only tells a story but tries to paint a picture of the events taking fold in that novel. While reading novels I notice that authors will try and visually communicate scenes, places, and events to the reader. Novels also require the reader to take all these pieces of information and put them together to form ideas, where in a movie all the details are given to you and a short story might not include enough details be given to form appropriate thoughts and ideas. Novels also use much more detail to develop the story. This detail is what makes novels truly unique. Movies, short stories, and other literary work other than novels, fail to cover in great detail as much of the story as novels. Novels also promote free thinking allowing the reader to develop his own thoughts on ways characters look, how they act, what different things look like, etc. Novels are different from one to another where they might tell a similar story but will always differ because of various authors. Authors who write novels might also write a certain way that appeal to different readers. This type of persona they we get from the author can be felt in movies and other literary pieces but in a novel I feel it is a lot more personal. Novels, in sum, allow the reader to partially develop the story as it unfolds and I believe no two peoples description of events, places, and people in the novel will ever be the same.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a novel, I think of a book that was written many years ago and means a good deal to a lot of people. It usually has a hidden meaning or message to it or to something that you are supposed to look deep into to find. It usually does not have pictures of if it does there are not many because the book is painting the picture for you. The novels are usually not too long but they are never really that short. But in their length they hold a lot of details that tell a great story that tell about the past or just events in general. They can be of any genre; it is just the book that you choose. The novels can teach people a lot about their lives because they are usually from the past and the authors have seen and lived more so they can help the readers understand more. They help them understand more about what is going on or about what they could experience. They can talk about different topics that are going on in the world like racism or segregation that happens all over the world. It is different from a short story because it has more detail and goes deeper into the story. It lets you get to know the characters more and you learn more about what is going on instead of getting right to the point. People sometimes look at novels as just the books assigned to them, but when they actually read them, most of them are really interesting books. They could be based in many different parts of the world and help you experience things that you have not or things that you may never get to witness. They help you get a broader sense of the world and what is going on.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a book. It has a main character, a place (a setting), time it takes place. Many novels are long and take time to read for me to read. Main character of the novel does most of the taking in the book. There isn’t anyone telling the story (narrator) like in a short story. There are other characters in the book as well but the main point of the book comes from the main character. In a short story there is a time and setting and a climax for a short story and a novel. A novel can have the setting and a climax too. Novels can really give a detailed image of the story and makes you feel like you are in the story.
ReplyDeleteThe length of novels I have read are pretty long some may take days to read for some and other it make take only a couple of days. Novels to me can be different in size from thin books to thick books.
In my opinion, novels are stories that entertain the reader, whether they are fictional or have a non-fictional basis. In order to describe a written work as a novel, there are some characteristics that should be present in the story. Perhaps most importantly would be the plot and character development that takes place throughout the reading. There should be a clear set of events that occur in order to reach a conclusion or end to the story and characters should be present. Length is also important when defining novels because most are longer works that contain many (possibly hundreds) of pages usually divided up into chapters in order to present the information in a clear manner. It is difficult to place novels in one specific genre of writing styles, as they can vary based on the author’s personal style. Also the subject matter of novels varies greatly across the board. In my opinion, there are no set guidelines for the content of the novel; instead they are characterized by the length, plot, and character development. When describing how novels are different from other types of literature, it is probably most easily compared by the length, as novels are longer than short stories. They are also different than movies or internet podcasts because they are written and the audience is reading the story, not watching.
ReplyDeleteTo me a novel is a book that has little to no pictures in it. If it does have pictures, the pictures are from a non-fiction event. A novel’s length is very long. It could be over 200 pages to a couple thousand pages. Some novels are short and have a lot of ideas and information that makes them seem longer. Other novels may have a lot more information that takes up more pages. Novels could be from any time era. They could be describing different events that happened in Germany many years ago, or what disaster happened to a family in the past years. Novels can tell a story like a narrative. This could be like a popular sports event that happened or a how a family dealt with a disaster that hit their state. They can also be about a time period, like the Holocaust. The authors of these stories could have lived through the events or they could be interviewing many people who did. Novels can be either non-fiction or fiction. They could be about true-life recent events or from many years ago. They could be about anything that the author feels the need to let people know about. The main characters are the ones that are remembered the most in novel. Novels could also be just the book assigned in classes that people enroll in. They could have many hidden meanings or have an important significance. Many novels are very popular around the world. A lot of novels are about important topics in history, like racism and segregation. I see a novel as a way to learn about what is happening in different parts of the world that they could not experience in their lifetime. Novels are good for seeing things through other people’s eyes, what they imagined or experienced.
ReplyDeleteTo me there are several characteristics that make up a novel. Novels are generally at least 150 pages in length and cover a variety of genres. They allow the reader to become part of a story that is fiction and can be very different from reality. For instance many science fiction novels are based in space or other make believe worlds that allow readers to expand their imagination. Comparably there are other novels such as romance and mystery. While these are not science fiction they still allow the reader to become engaged in a story that is fiction. I believe a novel is separated from short stories and other storytelling mediums based on length and story development. By that I mean that novels usually have a well-developed plot and several characters throughout the course of the story. Furthermore when I think of a novel I think of a story that has an underlying meaning or message within it. This is especially apparent in novels that are read in schools. Overall I see a novel as a story that can provoke imagination and critical thinking in readers and provide them an escape from everyday life.
ReplyDeleteNovels take on many shapes and sizes. Some novels can be read in one sitting, while others may a take a person several weeks to read. There are even graphic novels that use more pictures than words to portray a story’s events. Does that make it any less of a novel?
ReplyDeleteIt is truly hard to say! There are differences between novels and other types of storytelling, such as short stories. One such difference between a novel and a short story is that short stories generally focus on a particular event that happened in one or several characters’ lives. Novels will typically give more background information before the event occurs, and the novel will show the aftermath of the event.
A novel is most definitely difficult to define. Novels can be long or short. There is no particular length guideline, because not every author portrays a story in the same length or way. Although, a novel generally will not be a single page long. Typically a short novel will be somewhere in the fifty page range.
A novel also can be any genre. Many genres exist today whether it is mystery, science fiction, or romance. If there was only one genre that novels could be, then there would be a great dislike for reading because not everyone has the same taste. Also, many novels are fictional, but there are many that have fiction and facts mixed into one spectacular novel.
Novels are a work of magic that can transport a reader into another world. Although the debate may continue on what are the specific guidelines for a novel, one thing remains sure; novels are a work of art, just like a painting or a song.
A novel is a piece of written prose that descriptively expresses an idea through the arc of characters. They range in length, some are about one hundred pages, such as Cisneros’ House on Mango Street, and others can be longer than five or six hundred pages, such as John Fowles’ Magnus. Though most contemporary novels are classified as fiction, they almost always contain ideas, facts, and plots that are historically based—some may even be from personal experiences of the author. They typically express a central idea, a theme, which is universal of the human condition and can be made relatable to their audience. They can be social commentaries, social criticisms, or even bildungsromans.
ReplyDeleteIn its very essence, a novel is a method of storytelling. Unlike short stories, novels are able to delve deeper into a subject matter, simply due to length. Unlike movies, the audiences of novels are not bound to the expressions of actors or the currently available technologies, but they are allowed to make interpretations of their own. Novels are a much more timeless medium which afford any writers an opportunity to have their voices heard, their histories read, and theirs thoughts shared.
A novel is a book that can take readers to another world. It immerses the reader in the character's lives, and can bring them to life in the reader's minds. The book should at least be longer than one hundred pages. The story has to be compelling, and should grip the reader’s mind. The characters are generally very realistic in their thoughts, actions, and comments.
ReplyDeleteA novel can bring you into its story, allowing you to imagine the world it creates and see it through their eyes. A short story is too short to completely grab the reader’s attention. Movies don’t require any imagination. They tell their story through the movie screen.
For me, a novel is a collection of thoughts that are put into words that tell a story. This story can be fiction or non-fiction, boring or interesting. A novel is usually longer in pages, but can be set up in different formats. Some novels are set up into different chapters that help to distinguish between the happenings of the story. Some are set up in the form of letters or a journal/diary. Either way, I believe that a novel is longer and more in-detail than a short story and is a narrative. The way that the story is set up can change the meaning of the story in some ways so one author may decide to write differently than the next just because of the different emphasis one writing style may give the story as opposed to another writing style.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a novel usually contains quite a few characters. There is always the main character, or the protagonist. Usually, if there is a protagonist, there is an antagonist, which would be the person opposite the protagonist in the story. Each character that is mentioned in the story will play a role, whether it be a small role or a very big one.
Overall, I believe that a novel tells the story that the author wants their readers to know. Many novels have different interpretations, but the author may set it up that way based on the way that they write it or portray the story. A novel is usually longer than a short story, but that does not mean that every novel is hundreds and hundreds of pages. Finally, a novel usually contains main characters (protagonist and antagonist) and the supporting characters that help them to tell their story in the most realistic way possible. Even if the genre of the novel makes the story hard to believe (i.e. fantasy or science fiction novels), the author may choose to tell it in a way that makes their story real to the reader. I believe this is what makes a true novel.
What is a Novel? My definition of a novel would be how the author describes the characters and surroundings. Novels, as we know are lengthy stories that explain some kind of adventure by using vivid details in their writing to cause suspense, comedy, etc. When reading a novel, the author thoroughly explains the topics and settings so the reader can picture what the author is describing.
ReplyDeleteIn the first few chapters in a novel, the author introduces the main characters, the setting in which they are in, and explains how that character came to be where they are now. These chapters are probably the most important, because it lets you get to know the characters on a deeper, and detailed level. With short stories, they don’t expand over a long period of time like most novels. For example, a short story would explain how one person’s day may have been the worst day of their life, and a novel will explain longer topics, such as, one woman’s fight over the years battling cancer and still being able to live a somewhat normal life.
In the later chapters of a novel, there still is the clarity of the settings and the characters background, there will just be more details to what the characters next plan of action, or how they will come up with a plan to escape from prison. Like in every story there will always have a turning point, or place where everything you had read earlier will be put to the test to find the best, or sometimes, most rewarding solutions.
Novels, as any other form of literature, can be any genre. Novel’s plots, also like other literature, may or may not be completely resolved by its end leaving what’s to come up to the reader. One thing that sets the novel apart is its characters. A novel has main characters, antagonist and protagonists (the “heroes and villains”) and minor characters. A novel’s characters develop through the story it tells. I think this aspect is what separates a novel from a short story. While short stories give a snapshot of people’s lives portraying their attitudes towards one situation, characters in novels grow throughout the book changing their behavior and outlook. Novels are usually longer than short stories (which are not always short) because character development takes time. Novels are different from poetry or bards because I see poetry as more of an art form, the language flowy or choppy depending on the emotion being conveyed. Language found in poetry is not the language found in everyday life. A novel can portray life in the vernacular with a language that fits a certain class, culture, or age.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about how to describe a novel to someone my mind automatically starts thinking about length. To me the most noticeable feature is that novels are long. If something is around one hundred pages or more then I would consider it to be a novel. Novels tell a story, they have a developed plot and explain it in vivid detail; whereas a short story has a briefer story line with slightly less detail or less going on in the story. Novels have the ability to let your mind escape. If you’re reading a novel that you are enjoying and really getting into it you can almost escape from the world for a while. The best thing about them is that novels can be about anything. Just walk into any bookstore like Barnes and Noble and there will be hundreds of novels about everything under the sun. There is something for everyone. Things like magazines or newspapers for example are not novels, however someone could take an article out of a newspaper and with some more research to help expand on the subject someone can turn the article into a novel. One of the grey areas for me that I would like to know more about is the different between novels and extremely long poetry. There are some forms of poetry that are the length of novels; I never thought that something could be that long and still be considered to be poetry. The novel length poetry tells a story and shares details like a novel however it is considered to be a form of poetry. I have always been confused by what made novel length poetry, poetry instead of a novel besides the author of it saying it was poetry. So I guess for me explaining what a novel is to someone is not as easy as one would think
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about what a novel is, the word story comes to mind. A descriptive story that can be fact or fiction, with involved characters, and some kind of plot or direction to keep the readers attention. I don't believe there is a limit to the kind of topics that can be covered in a novel. While a short story can be very meaningful and descriptive, a novel goes much more in depth over a longer period of time. In my opinion, a novel is a larger piece of art that the author has poured themselves into.
ReplyDeleteI think of a novel as a book written by an author. It can describe a made up scene but is based on real events, places and/or people. It goes into details to describe a story in detail what a short story can not accomplish. There are meanings and lessons sometimes woven into the words to help deepen the story and really touch the soul of the reader. The length is not written in stone and can be from a couple hundred to a couple thousand pages.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a book with an author that has probably wrote other books. Also a novel has a story with meaning to it. When reading a book in order to tell if it is a novel or not one should look at the length of the book and determine how long it took the author to write the book. If the book is only 100 pages then odds are that it took them 2 months to write it. A novel is a book that has more then 100 pages and looks like it could of taken some time to write with in a 6 month range. Novels don’t always have to be about real stories they can very well be made up. When reading a novel the reader should be able to use their imagination.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of a novel is a book written in great detail. Pulling the reader into the story. It should excite the imagination and put the written word into pictures in the readers head. The length of the book is over 500 pages. The language of the book doesn’t matter, it should fit the taste of the reader. Multiple characters are a must but it may contain one main character and several supporting characters.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a longer piece of writing, longer than a short story, but not quite as long as a movie. It’s sort of in between. A novel is usually narrative, but doesn’t have to be. Novels, in my opinion, usually start off pretty boring, and you gradually work into the story as you read. Novels have a certain time setting, main characters, a climax, and sometimes a problem and resolution. Novels seem to be written more recently than short stories. Novels can be either fiction or non-fiction and most of the time tell a story. Novels are very detailed and as you read them you can picture yourself actually in the story plot. Whenever I hear the word novel I think of the words chapter book. A novel can be a way of author’s expressing events that have happened in their lives or events that they dream about happening. When reading a novel, you have to keep your imagination open since there are a lot of turns that occur.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a specific type of written work. It can be any type of genre and tell any type of story. There are short novels and lengthy novels. All novels do contain a plot and have characters. Some sort of story usually unfolds. A novel will follow some sort of timeline and will be written in a specific style. Novels are different than other types of written works. A novel is published before the general public reads it, so all novels will contain a certain level of professionalism. A well written novel will captivate the audience and make you want to keep reading. It will have twists and turns and an interesting storyline. Most of the time, novels will use correct grammar. However, exceptions exist for any rule, and all novels contain their own specific qualities that make them unique.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a story that is relatively long and contains characters and a plot of some sort. It can be either fiction or fact, and it usually has a deeper meaning behind than what most read. Novels tell a story of someone or something that almost drags you into their world, escaping from the world that surrounds you. You feel compelled to be a part of the story and you easily can get lost in it.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a novel is a piece of writing that is generally longer than a story or short story an usually more complex, which provides more details. It can be of any type of writing, whether it be about Muhammad Ali or aliens. In such a novel there would include characters or people that the author is talking about in the novel. There will also consist of a certain plot, but not always. Although, I would find it hard to write a good novel without a plot and thus ramble on and on.
ReplyDeleteA novel is many things. I think that it is a story that shows the development of a character or characters from the beginning to the end of the story. It has a plot and theme and shows depth of characters and settings. When I read a novel, I always can visualize what is happening and the characters become real. I usually can relate to a personality of a character or think of a person that the character represents. A novel can also be a fantasy, suspense, drama, or comedy. It brings life to a concept of the author and usually leaves the reader thinking or pondering ideas.
ReplyDeleteA novel is usually a narrative story. It is also longer and has more of a vast selection of information than a short story does. The genre of a novel can be over any topic and discuss just about everything. It can be a comedy, thriller, fantasy, mysteries, romance, etc… It can also be fiction or non-fiction. A novel is more in depth and detailing than a movie shows. A novel is written a lot different than a short story also. A short story is just to the point when reading it, but a novel drags out and explains more and builds up to a climax and the end of the story. A novel usually can give advice to people reading it.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of a novel is a somewhat thorough explanation of a situation that has a beginning, middle, and an end. It can be told by one or more authors and generally lacks pictures, which shows the maturity of the audience that it is written for. I think a novel should definitely have a climax somewhere in the story, generally in the middle. The beginning is catchy and the end (if it isn’t meant to be a series) should normally leave the reader at ease and content with the story in a whole. Some authors do write their conclusion with the intent to leave the reader in awe and in question of their main ideas. Novels tend to have more details than any short story or movie. But they still have the same characteristics as any movie, or short story – they contain settings, characters and some type of plot. I don’t think that a novel is limited to being just non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a story with enough substance to take up its own book. As opposed to a short story which is usually found in a collection. They can deal with any number of issues. Novels can be written for a younger audience as well as an older one, so it can be hard to pinpoint one thing about them that makes them novels. Most of the novels that people talk about tend to focus on more adult themes, or explore different ideas and make the reader think. Novels that are taught in classes especially fit into having a theme or different literary elements that can be explored and discussed. A novel has to tell a story of some kind. It cannot just be a book of information, such as a math book or historical reference book. I suppose the main point is that a novel has to tell a story and should cover different literary themes and have other meaning besides what is written in the pages.
ReplyDeleteTo me a novel is a story that is longer than a short story, and usually comes published in book form, rather than other kinds of work. They can be either fiction or non-fiction, but most of the time they are fiction. Novels are more detailed stories and explain the plots and characters more in depth. They have a beginning, middle, and an end, and focus more on character development than other written works do. In novels the author tells a story, true or not, with a plot and characters that makes for enjoyable reading.
ReplyDeleteI believe a novel is anything that is longer than a short story, and is written by an author. The type of genre that a novel can be could be anything, it could be a thriller, or mystery, a fantasy or a romantic, or anything else that there is. A novel can be fiction or non-fiction. Novels usually go into more depth than any other types of storytelling. Novels are open for a much wider audience because there are so many genres. There is usually more of a story to novels, and there are usually several characters in them, compared to a short story that usually only has a few characters. There are also usually sequels to novels.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a long story that has meaning and a somewhat complex storyline. The complexity can be found in many ways. The author could provide it or they could leave the story open to interpritation for the reader to develop the story in their own way. The novel has to have devolpement and move forward and lead to an ending whether it be open or closed. It is the complexity of the story that seperates it from short storys and biographies. It relates closer to movies than other literary sources in my opinion
ReplyDeleteI think a novel is a story that explains the main character and other characters in detailed depth that leaves you knowing a great deal about the character or characters. It also has no limits on what type of story it can be. It could start out as mysterious and end up with suspense, action, and comedy at the same time. Novels are meant to grab you and hold you in the story so you can finish it with a new sense of imagination. It can also reflect, from the author mind, what one topic might mean compared to the reader. And novels also have no limits to what they can be as far as what meaning the novel has.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a novel? Well, it is a lot of things to me. A novel should serve a purpose, other than to entertain. A novel should make a person want to know more, even after the end. A novel is like a masterpiece, created by the author for the public. I read thousands of novels every year, yet I have no sense of the “real” definition. It’s something an individual must experience for themselves. When I read a novel, I become a part of the book. I “see” from the character’s perspective- feeling what they feel, seeing what they see. I may even describe it as another sense.
ReplyDeleteA novel consists of a basic storyline: beginning, middle, and end. All novels have one or two protagonists and several minor characters. There is a conflict and resolution, usually several of them. Sometimes there is a combination of themes: romance, science fiction, mystery, etc. It may have political, religious, or economical undertones. Most novels are at least 100 pages long- although the average I have read are in the 300-page mark, sometimes longer. A novel is definitely longer than a short story, but shorter than the dictionary.
In my opinion a novel is a book in which the author tells a story and can be either fiction or non fiction. This story that is told usually involves more than one person and on top of that will go into depth about one or more of the peoples lives. A novel in my opinion also has a very precise goal in which the main character must achieve something that needs done. Such as in an action story the main character usually faces many adversaries and foes whom will attempt to keep him/her from reaching said goal. This conflict is what makes a novel a novel. Without conflict the story wont go anywhere be it physical or emotional conflict.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a piece of literature that comes in various lengths. It describes another place and time. They allow you to see into the life of another person. It puts you into their shoes. It’s also a piece of art. It shows something of the artist’s life and experiences or just his/her attempt to make a political point since they are longer and generally more complex than a short story that allows the author to be more vivid with details and their plot. It allows for a more extensive understanding of what the author is expressing.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a book that has a plot and a setting. Novels follow characters and watch them grow in their ideas. Some characters will change and grow as they progress through the novel, but some characters may stay the same in their beliefs. A novel is a longer piece of work than a short story because a short story creates a problem and solves it quickly. The setting in a novel can consist of multiple places, while a short story mainly stays in one location. The characters in short stories are not given enough time to grow, but in a novel the characters seem to grow in their thinking.
ReplyDeleteA novel can pick a certain place in time or characters from history and can work on that as the basis for the story. It can rewrite a certain event and make it more interesting. A novel can make up a new ending and new characters in an event. Also novels can make different people the heroes or the author can create an entirely new story with the same characters. The story can follow the same people for multiple books, and it can watch as the character grows in their thinking and actions. Some novels can be entirely based on a made up event or some can be based on a true event that is changed a little bit.
A novel creates a character. A character is not just a person with a name, but the novel creates the whole idea of the character, such as thoughts, actions, job, and other attributes. By creating a character from the beginning, the author is able to make the character grow. The novel is a place for the author to make their audience love or hate the characters. Although a short story creates this place as well, the novel has a bigger area for the growth of the character.
What is a novel?
ReplyDeleteA novel is a fictional book written in story form. A novel’s purpose is usually to entertain the reader. The story is often about one main character and several others. The scenery can be described where the character is, to help the reader “feel” that they are there. The novel should be written so that the character is identifiable and clear to the reader. Names and description of the characters physical attributes help the reader envision the character in their mind. These descriptions help the reader is ready to discover the characters personality and likes and dislikes. A novel can be very engaging in the fictional world that the author creates. Sometimes a novel can be about the future. If the author chooses the futuristic time frame, great descriptions are useful to pull the reader in. A novel can be a fun read to relax, or it can be more serious with the content. Some novels address a current topic or past topic. This enables a reader to learn about a topic or event in the past. Reading about a past event or a topic in novel form is an easy way to glean information about the event or topic. For instance when I was a young teenager I found the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I was attracted to the title. I pulled it off the shelf at my step-grandparents’ house. I read the novel from cover to cover. I learned about the time frame in the South around the 1930’s. There were issues addressed such as poverty and racism. The novel had many characters in it and Harper Lee described them very well so that their personality could be understood. I think that this is a great example of what a novel can achieve with variety and great description.
If I was playing the game charades and was told to act out a novel, I would end up acting it out horribly wrong and end up using words instead of my actions. Words I would use to describe it range from “amazing” to “helps induce short comas”. The reason for the variety of adjective is because each novel seems to define itself. What I mean is each story is like a snowflake, some melt and fade away while others are used as foundations for other snowflakes to “build” off of. What about movies, podcast and etc.? They are different as well but the reason they distinguish so much from novels is the mere fact that novels are made with pure thought and imagination to some degree. Movies can have an excellent storyline but horrible acting (The whole Saw series). Short stories are close to novels but are called short stories because the characters have two-dimensional personalities, in other words known by names not by their true identities (emotions, passions, etc.). Podcast to me are rants about topics that can mindlessly be listened to, thought is put in but no imagination. Now if my three year old brother asked me to describe a novel I would simply put it that it is a story. On the contrary, if my literature teacher is asking me the same question, I would explain that a novel is a piece of someone’s creativity that dives deep into analytics and arithmetic used for an enhanced reading experience. Each person has their own opinion of what a novel can be and to me that’s what makes each novel so unique, unlike movies. Your interpretation is what makes a novel good or great. To me, a novel is the passion of the writer and the dedication of the reader.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a novel, what comes to mind is a story that is at least hundred pages. It can be fact, fiction, mystery, or historical in nature, but the basic premise is to draw the reader’s attention by giving great of detail about the story. When I read a novel, I like to be able to “paint” the picture in my mind of what is happening in the story. The words are very powerful and they help me to be able to visualize the story. I suppose this is the difference between a novel and movie. A movie is all visual, but with a novel you have to see with the words. I believe a novel is much more descriptive and detailed than a movie. How many times have you heard someone say that “the movie did not do the book any justice”? Much of the interpretation of the author is lost in a movie. A novel can also evoke a sense of who each of the characters are by indicating his or her personality. Research is probably also a component of writing a novel. Depending on what time period the novel is written in, the writer needs to know about all pertinent information related to that time period. Much of this information is validated to the reader as verifiably true. Also, historical events are sometimes referenced so they need to be true, even if the story is fiction. I believe that a good novel will compel the reader with an interesting plot or message. It is important to have the reader to think about what is going on in the story and what may come next. So many times when I start a great book, I cannot put it down. To me, that is the definition of a successful novel!
ReplyDeleteA novel is a story with chapters. It is long enough for you to make a significant commitment of your time, but short enough that you could read it in a day if it was just that captivating. Novels are fictional but often based in reality. They begin with a simple plot or idea. There can be one character or many. There is more depth and detail than a short story and the detail gets progressively more toward the ending. Novels are for entertainment of the reader. They are a lot like a movie, but a movie you have to read and interpret and picture in your mind.
ReplyDeleteHmm, Its hard to define a novel. A story of some length that has a clear beginning and end and is written in certain perspectives. I have no idea what the difference between a short story and a novel is(besides length). A novel as compared with a newspaper, is not about events that took place in the last few days. It is about events that took place several years ago, possibly several months ago or about made up events. A novel won't have everything cited in its text either. It may have references at the beginning or end of the book, but no in-text citations. Novels can also be written by someone with no college degree at all, as compared to scholarly journals. I imagine there are also several literary things that have to be in a book to make it a novel. Damned if I know what they are specifically though.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a novel? A novel is a form of storytelling that uses chapters to separate ideas; kind of like paragraphs in an essay. These chapters can be short or long, depending on the idea or section of the story being told. Novels lengths can vary. Some can be as short as fifty pages or as long as five hundred pages. All different types of genres can be found in novels and they can be either fiction or non-fiction. Typically, novels have a lot of words per page, depending on what age the novel is set for, and very little pictures. But, of course, there are exceptions. I’ve never really liked reading and have always considered novels to be boring, but recently I have been trying to do more reading and novels are a main proponent in becoming a more active reader. Hopefully this class will get me excited about reading.
ReplyDeleteA novel creates a different definition for each and every person. Whenever I think of a novel, I consider a rather lengthy book. This book is usually no shorter than 100 pages but can be upwards to 1000 pages. I also consider a novel to contain chapters or different segments among a story. Speaking of story, a novel almost always tells a story. It may be a true or non-fictional story or a made up story which is considered fiction. Within each story there is always at least one important character, but to keep it entertaining a novel generally contains more than one character. Most often, a novel will contain a protagonist, which is the “good” character, and the antagonist, which normally plays the villain. This helps to set up the story line or plot. The plot is the main scheme of the story in the novel. A novel also contains other literary devices such as the setting or metaphors. With the help from the characters and literary devices, a novel is usually set up for entertainment. While at times a novel may seem boring to one person, it can be rather entertaining to another reader. There is no specific novel but rather many different types of novels. To name a few there have been history novels, romance novels, and even mystery novels. There is a type of novel out there to entertain any type of reader. Novels can be an entertaining way to escape reality and put your thoughts into someone else’s story!
ReplyDeleteTo me, I would consider a novel to be any kind of story involving many characters who are somehow connected to each other, whether it is a fiction or non-fiction story. Many novels seem to be more than one hundred to two hundred pages in length with in depth detail about each characters life or their current situations. I also seem to think that the definition of a novel depends on the person either reading or writing the story. To one person a story may be considered a novel and yet to another it may be considered just a short story. So all in all I really think the definition of a novel is whatever we want it to be. So what is the definition of a novel? I really don’t know.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a book that tells a story. It is more than just a few pages and could be fictional or non-fictional, action or adventure, sci-fi or mystery. A novel tells a story in different ways in contrast to a movie or podcast. Its pages fill the author’s mind with new thoughts and exercise the reader’s imagination as they picture the story unfolding in their head. A novel “teleports” the reader to the exact place and setting of the story and should hold the readers interest as much as possible. A novel also does not have to end with a concise conclusion; it could leave the reader wanting more and end with more of a cliff-hanger. In my opinion, there are not too many guidelines that define a novel, but more of just how well the story is written or told by the author. A novel to me tells a story on told on pages that entertains the reader in much more elaborate ways than a movie or podcast.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a novel? A novel is a story that someone puts down in words and makes into a book. These stories can be based on fact or fiction and can be about anything the author can imagine. Novels differ from short stories in their length. Though they are both telling a story, novels are much longer than a short story. Novels are also different from movies and film. Again they both tell a story, the author of a novel has a lot harder job because he or she actually has to paint the picture in the readers mind whereas when people watch a movie they all the visual right in front of them. The author not only has to tell a story, but he also has to convey the time period, setting, how the characters look, etc. And this has to happen multiple times every time the setting changes. The main goal of novels is simply to just put the ideas and stories one person has onto paper and spread them to the rest of the world for them to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWell I could state the obvious about how a novel is a book with chapters and words, but I think I’ll just go with what I feel is the definition of a “novel.” A novel is much more than words on a piece of paper, its multiple things. A novel tells someone’s story, whether it be a mystery, or a comedy, or even a romance for the hopelessly romantic people out there. Novels can be an escape from everyday life. Reading a novel gives you the feeling that you are in someone else’s footsteps. Many times you can feel their pain and suffering, or their happiness and excitement. A novel is a book that you curl up with on the couch on a cold night and just read.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a story. It has a lot of details to help the reader better understand what the author is trying to say and also has a series of events. Fiction or nonfiction, a novel can be either. It has a plot, characters, a place, time and usually has many pages. Personally when I read a novel, there is something like a movie in my head just like being at the movie theater. The more details the better movie, even the longer novel the better movie in some cases. The novel should make the reader have a special feeling, for example: anger, sadness, happiness, or even scared. Novels should also have flow about them, each chapter should easily flow to the next making it easier for the reader and a better story. Novels are usually better than short stories simply because they are short with less detail. NOVELS make the characters grow and also brings the movie in your mind to life. As tfilla said, “the novel is a place for the author to make their audience love or hate the characters”. This is exactly true sometimes when I get done reading a novel I think this guy in the book is crazy and other times I wish I was the character. The time frame is a major factor to understanding the novel because in the 1400’s it would be really hard for me to relate, where as if it was in 2011. This being said I would probably have to do some research on the novel or what is taking place to understand. Novels should be so interesting when one reads you never want to put them down, or it should be so interesting you read it till 2 a.m. and forget about sleeping, that is a true novel.
ReplyDeleteFormally, a novel is a book that consists of characters and plots contained in a story that is written by an author. However, a novel is much more than a mere storyline. A novel is an adventure. It allows one to escape from their reality and encourages them to use their imagination. A novel also enhances a person’s ability to use critical thinking and opens one’s mind to new ways of approaching or living life. Typically, when reading a novel, one becomes engulfed in the story. The reader experiences emotions such as, fear, hate, sadness, surprise, and love. Though the story may be fictitious, in a way, it becomes alive. Characters and places feel real. Constantly, a reader’s brain is working to unravel the plot of the story. Authors force a reader to view matters in a different light, thus opening their eyes to new ways of viewing life. Novels help one to obtain a better view of themselves and of others.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a published text written with the intent to entertain, to inform, and/or to persuade. It expresses a person’s feelings, ideas, beliefs, dreams, and wisdoms. These expressions can either be the absolute truth, farfetched stories, or make-believe fantasies. The author portrays his or her words in a formal manner, in which covers the details he or she wishes. However, the author’s intent may or may not be what the reader interprets it as.
ReplyDeleteNovels can be an escape from the reality. One moment a person can be fishing with Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea or experiencing life values with Pip in Great Expectations. A novel to one person may just be pure enjoyment, but to another it can have an enormous influence and change the course of his or her life. No matter what each novel contains texts, but how we interpret that text is a whole new discussion.
There are no guidelines to how long a novel can be. Once a professor said, “It needs to be like a girl’s skirt, long enough to cover, but short enough to keep it interesting.” It is an author’s choice how to many details to add. A very detailed day can be an entire novel, whereas some can be over a course of a lifetime.
Genres are not limited in the novel world. A novel can be a fantasy, mystery, or scientific genre. Most people tend to believe that novels are romantic paperback with love triangle; however, this is not true, there are novels that involve dragon slaying warriors.
Novels are an essence of life. Without them stories or legends would never be told the same. Novels are a form of communication. It is a way the author describes to others the emotions or descriptions he or she would like his or her story told. Novels are the stepping stone into the entertainment that we have today.
In my experience as a reader, novels are my favorite type of literature. It is a lengthy piece of work that should have a setting, plot, theme, characters, climax, etc. They are generally longer than short stories and go more in depth with the characters and plot. A novel gives you more of a chance to get to know the characters and to understand the message the author is trying to relay. That is a main reason I like novels better than short stories. There are many genres of novels, but to me that is not what defines a novel.
ReplyDeleteNovels should provoke a thought or emotion in the reader, just as short stories do, but the length and depth that novels go into help the reader make connections. Some movies are based off of novels, and obviously certain components need to change; the story line of the movie might not go exactly along with the plot of the book, but that is what makes movies and novels different genres. In a novel the author is challenged to show, not tell. In movies, it is much easier to show and tell, because someone else has transformed their ideas into a moving picture. Novels leave much more to the reader’s imagination, which I think makes reading novels more enjoyable and thought provoking.
Nowadays novels aren't just physically written in paper books, they can be found online or on almost any e-reader. E-readers are novels way of keeping current with technology and our evolving lifestyles. The fact that novels are adapting with our society shows that novels are here to stay!