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, say, a short story, poem, 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 is a lengthy written story. The story is told through words rather than pictures. A novel has a beginning middle and end. It has a plot that tries to communicate a meaning or moral that the writer wants the reader to understand. A novel is normally told through one person’s viewpoint. A novel is not concerned with rhyme or rhythm of the words; it is more concerned with telling a story in a way that it is understandable to the reader.
ReplyDeleteAt its most basic form, a novel is essentially a story told in certain specific ways. Novels are longer than short stories; they can be anywhere from 100 to 1,000 pages or more. Novels also differ from short stories in that they are more drawn out because they have more time to get through the story than a shorter piece would. Novels also generally don’t follow any sort of rhyme scheme or meter, like a poem, and are almost always written in free verse. But beyond that, the definition of a novel becomes very broad. There is no set genre or theme or even style that makes a novel a novel. The stories told don’t necessarily have to be fictional and they don’t have to be written concretely, as if they were the very opposite of the abstract nature of poetry. A novel can be an epic fantasy piece or an entirely nonfictional memoir or a description of all the reasons why someone might loathe high school and the experiences they had. It doesn’t matter; they just have to be lengthy, written stories.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not sure of the exact definition of a novel, I do have my own opinion of what a novel is, or what makes a novel a novel. First and foremost a novel needs a plot. I doesn’t have to be anything deep, just a story to tell. I can be either fiction or non-fiction to satisfy this. Within the plot there must be at least one character. A story isn’t a story without someone or things performing an action. I am not saying that the character must be a human or animal, or any living organism for that matter. A novel could be about a shoe, or any object the author chooses. The reason I say there needs to be only one character is that I do not believe a novel has to have multiple characters involved with one another. Yes more characters could add to the plot but it’s not necessary to have. A character can be involved with other objects, rather than people. Aside from the character criteria, the plot must have a climax and resolution. If those aren’t present then what is the point of the novel? The climax and resolution are why we read books, watch movies, and tell friends and family stories. Aside from the plot and minimum of one character, a novel needs nothing else in my opinion. I could be forgetting an important component to a novel that I’ll remember as soon as I click “post” but for now I think all a novel needs is a character that is involved in a plot that has a climax and resolution, or to be simpler there must be a purpose for the story. It could be inspirational, funny, or just interesting, or all three. People may look to define a novel more complexly, but it is a very simple concept that has a very simple definition.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a book that has been written for an older generation, like once you are in your teens. Children’s books are easy to read and don’t have much substance to them and are filled with many pictures. A novel is going to have depth with the story it is telling. Whether the depth is in great detail and takes 500 pages to explain the story or a simple story within 100 pages but still getting everything you need. The page length of a novel doesn’t matter as long as there is a story and has both a protagonist and an antagonist. A novel has to have these two characters in it to help add the depth of the story. Novels can be written in any genre the author wants to write in. Some genres have novels that are jam packed with the history of someone’s life or describing every little detail of one specific moment. As long as the story has meaning, depth, and characters that intrigue the reader, it is a novel.
ReplyDeleteA novel is any number of individual ideas placed in understandable text phrases which together create a story. These ideas also create a platform for further extension of the people, places, things, and laws by which the story is set. An example of this would be if I said "he's a gentleman and a scholar", people familiar with Catcher in the Rye would understand the world and personality of Holden Caulfield.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a story that grabs me; Pulls me into the tale by the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and the conclusion. It has a length that is in depth and long. Not like a short story where it may be told in a few pages or so. It may not have structure like a poem, but rather in form of chapters and paragraphs. A may also have dialog due the amount of characters that a novel may have. A novel is usually told by the main character (protagonist) and in first person. Some novels and stories may differ though, being told by third person view. A novel can be any range of themes. It can be horror, romance, drama, or my favorite, mystery. I love novels because you are able to find out things maybe not told in a short story, poem, or movies. You can be told how a person is feeling or thinking. I also like novels (that aren't series) because they will usually have an ending. You know what happens in the end. You're left feeling that you lived that life, knowing all the details and feelings that the character went through, and ultimately yourself as well.
ReplyDeleteThere is a cover that wraps from front to back, with a spine for structure. The pages that sit between hold the imagination of a writer. From top to bottom, the words are lined in a gridded fashion, to ensure the timeline of this new dimension follow the rules of our own. The Novel is a pocket universe, telling the tales of people, places and events outside the rules of our own world. A novel can vary widely in length, but usually the novel is much longer than a short story. The use of prose is most common in a novel, but poetic language sometimes finds its way, creeping into the pages through enticing figurative language. A novel is a key to the unknown; it’s a ticket to another planet or the long lost friend with so much to talk about.
ReplyDeleteThe gods of this earth and the tales they tell are the humans, who create with no limitation. The writers of novels and boundless imagination sort their minds and deliver separation. The novel takes the reader away from this earth and sends them to any which where and who, to meet what could and can’t be true.
When I think of novels or books, I always think of the saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Always true with everything in life, people, places, things, everything has surprises. A novel has plots, themes, settings, people, places, events. Basically, a short story, poem, and novel have the emotional connection of story-telling through words. When I read a novel, I get a totally different story than how a movie would be produced or than what someone else might think had happened. Most novels get straight to the point, but some make the reader play with their imagination and one reader might have a different feel for the story than the other reader. Once a movie comes out from a novel, some readers do not like the movie verses the novel because the movie leaves out so much that only words can tell by feelings and narrating. Novels go into more detail, detail and detail. Detail is the key. A short story can be as thrilling, exciting, sad as a full 400 page novel according to detail. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a form of book or story that, although not definitive in length, has clear and sometimes controversial key points in the story that not only tell a story about the main character, but also of the author who wrote it. Such is true when you break down and look at certain novels in time like The Great Gatsby. Through a reading of that book you can correlate certain moods and tones in the book with Fitzgerald’s life and almost be able to understand the author him/herself just by what they write and how they go about writing it. Another key difference between novel’s and other literary mediums is that books and stories and whatnot are stories that you read and put the book down whereas a novel is a book that you read, you think about, you study, and you reread. Although I don’t believe it is true for all novel’s, most all that I have read have some sort of moral catharsis, or just an underlying moral message to it, almost seeming to want to change the person who is reading it to think, or feel the way the reader wants about something.
ReplyDeleteNovels are generally the “favorites” within the realm of literature. Novels are generally 250 pages or more in length, almost always fiction, and tend to be popular among many groups of people. Novels are written with the intention of being read for pleasure, not for research. The format of a novel uses certain writing styles that include standardized paragraphs, complete sentences, and follow proper grammatical rules. Novels differ from other types of storytelling just by the length of the story and the “message” the novel has within the text. Novels are popular among many groups of people because it can be an easy read, interesting in content, and many become best sellers because of these factors. Novels have become the staple of literature in today’s society, since the main goal is for pleasure. It has a positive connotation, compared to literature on research which means it contains dry information that most will not be interested about. Novels also transcend cultural differences, because it draws upon the ideas of human emotion, which is unanimous across the board.
ReplyDeleteCommunicating a person’s thoughts and ideas can be difficult for some, and for others it can be as easy as a quick blog. For those that have trouble expressing them through a blog, or maybe have to large of an idea for a blog they may have to use a medium. What would that be, well there are several options out there from short stories to poems, even to tv shows and movies, but one of the most dramatic ways to do so (besides an actual drama) would be a novel. Novels are a great way to inject your ideas and thoughts into people’s minds however obvious or subtle you’d like. The novel is a classical way to take a random person and throw them into a different time, place, or lifestyle and open their eyes to things they may have never thought or seen before. Normally the novel seems like it’s just a story about something random with no real purpose except for it’s entertainment value, but studies show* that 9 times out of 10 your views on something in the world will have changed by the end of the reading. You may look at the struggle of the middle class differently or the plight of returning soldiers from war in a whole new light. Novels also give a voice to anyone, anyone willing to take an idea and develop it over the course of a few pages and characters. This idea after being translated through the text can then convey thoughts to people that may not have been able to physically be put into those situations, time periods, or locations where the novels take place. Allowing everyone who can obtain the novel to have their eyes opened to different worlds which the author felt necessary to share with them, the world, and the future.
ReplyDelete*study conducted by myself. I am not a doctor.
When I think of a novel I think of characters that can come to life just with descriptions from an author. When an author describes these characters they have emotions, conflicts, and “lives” that they live. The descriptions of these characters seem so real that’s what I think makes it different from a short story or a movie. In a movie you can get into a movie but you don’t learn about a character as much as I think you do in a novel. You’re in that characters head when you read a novel. When I read a novel I get so into it that it’s like I’m actually there living that characters life. I get upset at the events that happen to upset them I get excited when something good happens. Every time I read a novel it’s like a new town with people I haven’t met and I have to get to know them and their life stories. When I read a something and it catches my interest I can’t put it down I have to keep reading. You just get so attached to the characters that you have to find out more. Then when it ends you get sad because that brief moment where you’re in this world that was someone else’s and it’s exciting.
ReplyDeleteWhat are novels? Novels are books, or a series of books, that are filled with mixed characters that experience different emotions throughout life. Novels can be spread out through series like Harry Potter, or some can be short and simple. The genre of a novel does not matter, although most popular novels are fiction. Although short stories or poems can create stories that have mixed characters and experience raw emotions, they are not novels. Novels have multiple characters that have different stories and experiences that develop over time. Most poems and short stories have a single tale that only has one or two characters develop over the elapsed times. The main characteristic to make a novel is a complete story where the protagonist undergoes transformations in character. For example, in the novel Harry Potter, Harry develops characters over a series of several books. Some of these characteristics he obtains are for the good, and some for the bad. Although he undergoes several transformations, he still finds a way to relate to the reader. A true novel will find multiple ways to relate to the reader through emotions and experiences. A true novel can relate the emotions of the reader and the protagonist to create connections that can leave the reader in awe. A great novel can change the mind of the reader on a subject, or strengthen an idea. Unlike a short story, a novel a leave a reader thinking about the context of an idea presented in the story for days.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a story that is fiction or nonfiction that includes a title, beginning, middle and end. In the writings that I would consider to be novels they are comprised of the introduction of a protagonist and antagonist; or what the novel is specifically relating to in the beginning. In the middle is the peak of the story the uphill climb to the climax of the story and the end is the resolution. How the information is presented can vary depending on the specific genre of the writing and can also vary by author but the idea of the beginning middle and end is consistent in comparison to other forms of written story telling like a short story or poem which are usually significantly shorter; or podcasts and movies which are a specifically visual or audio component.
ReplyDeleteWhat the word "novel" brings to mind for me are these general characteristics:
ReplyDelete~A work can't be a novel if it is not at least partly fictional.
~There is no limit on the topics that a novel can approach.
~A novel should have some sort of narrative or narratives, which can be told serially or scattered across sections, no matter what chronological order they follow.
~The lines between short story, novella, and novel are somewhat hazy, but I wouldn't be very comfortable calling something a novel unless it had at least one hundred pages, give or take a few.
~I've never seen a novel that wasn't separated somehow into chapters or sections or the like.
~Most novels have no pictures or illustrations, but occasional pictures certainly have a place in novels. In fact, the "light novel" format currently popular in Japan is partly defined by the presence of such pictures.
I think a novel is a fictional story that usually centers on one or more characters. Although these characters don’t necessarily need to be human, they should possess human qualities. Like with any work of fiction, the novel should contain a message, or a purpose, something that the author wants the reader to take away from the novel. This purpose varies from novel to novel; the purpose of one novel, for example, could be to serve as a commentary or critique of society or a government. In another novel, the purpose may be something as simple as reinforcing a universal truth, like the triumph of good over evil, for example.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think these things (characters, a message in the story) are requirements with any work of fiction and aren’t specific to novels. What sets a novel apart, what differentiates it from a short story or another work of fiction, is length. A novel needs to be a certain length, and while I think that this is the most important aspect of a novel, I don’t think there’s a concrete rule about how long it actually needs to be to qualify as a novel, it may just be on a case by case basis.
I believe the difference that makes a book a novel is the aspect of the story told. A novel seems like it takes a more of an indirect route to explaining the event, such as a personal view or story from one person’s, the protagonist, point of view. It’s like a small story that plays a piece in a big event. For example, an author writes a book about his/her experience in World War II. They can only create a story about what they know and have seen, and there’s no one person that was in every last thing. On that note, a novel cannot actually put you in the situation they are in, but it more creates a mental picture so that you can sort of imagine you are there. A novel stretches your imagination to form a picture of what you interpreted in your reading. A novel creates like an exercise for your imagination in my opinion.
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ReplyDeleteTo me, the definition of a novel is a story that takes me into a different world other than I’m use too. It helps me learn and imagine how other people live and what they think. I always find something that relates to me. A novel is longer than a short story or poem but it doesn't have a specific length, it ends when the author is finish telling their story. The most important part of a novel is an introduction because that will keep the reader interested and wanting to know more. There’s a problem in the beginning and it either gets resolved or there’s a realization at the end.
ReplyDeleteFor a book to be considered a novel to me, it has to have several different aspects that all tie together and intertwine with the reader’s interest and pull the reader into the story. The book does not have to be a specific genre for myself to call it a novel. The book could be sci-fi, historical fiction, romance, etc. and I would consider it to be a novel. The genre does not matter to me, as long as the genre sparks my interest in some way. One thing a book must have in order for myself to consider it a novel, is length. The book must have a decent amount of pages to where I feel like the main theme was accomplished. If a book is to short, the main theme can feel incomplete and rushed. On the other hand, I have read some novels that were too long and seemed to drag the plot on for way too long. A book or novel that cannot pull the reader into its pages makes the reading very boring and can make the reader procrastinate reading the book. A novel, for me, has to have adequate protagonist and antagonist development. Great character development, along with a great plot, should pull the reader into the story and make the reader believe they actually in the story. I want to be sucked into the story and imagine the scenes with the characters. The more vivid the imagined scene, the better the novel is for me. So, for my definition, a novel is a book that has an adequate amount of pages that incorporates a complete character development and plot that pulls the reader into its pages.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion a novel is an elaborate form of narrating a story. It has a clear beginning where it will introduce us to a protagonist and an antagonist. It has a clear middle of the story where it tells us about the journey of the protagonist and how they progress through the novel. In the middle it also tells us of how the antagonist hinders the protagonist through his journey. A novel also has a definitive ending where the protagonist completes his journey through the story. A novel is different from a short story in the aspect that it normally gives more detail about the protagonist and his journey. I don’t believe that there is a defined length of a novel that makes it a novel and not a short story. It seems that most books that are adapted into movies are novels. I feel the reason for this is that there is more depth and description to a novel as opposed to a short story or a poem, making it easier for the film makers to depict a better picture for the viewer.
ReplyDeleteNovels are my favorite genre in literature. I prefer them to short stories, poetry, and graphic novels. I usually prefer book to film, except on a rare occasion. Like short stories, novels must have a character, theme, plot, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. What separates novels from short stories is the length. Novels are longer than short stories; which gives the reader a better chance to connect with the characters in the book, and to better understand the theme or underlying message within the story. The difference between poetry and a novel is much easier to understand. Poetry does not have to have rhyme or a pattern, but it is more like a coded message that speaks to the soul… or maybe it doesn’t. Graphic novels use pictures to help the reader visualize the story, and is usually just a long comic book. However, many famous novels have recently been turned into graphic novels. My first attempt at reading a graphic novel did not go so great, but I have gained a better appreciation for them after reading a few more. Movies are different than films because the director puts the plot into a moving picture. With novels, much more is left to the imagination, for instance, the appearance of characters and the emotions that are implied not stated, and even the setting. 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!
ReplyDeleteA novel is any number of ideas thrown together in a customarily logical manner. Novels are longer than short stories and can range anywhere from one hundred to thousands of pages. The purpose of a novel is to allow the reader to submerge themselves into another universe. Because of this novels do not have genre requirements; the stories they hold can consist of fictional or nonfictional characters, real or imagined places. Novels do not need to conform to rhymes or particular meters the way most poetry does and can be written for any age group.
ReplyDeleteA novel is a book that can be either fiction or non fiction. It of course has an author and a beginning, a middle, and an end. The length does not particularly matter it can be any size and still be considered a novel as long as it tells a story. The genre of the novel does not matter it can be anything from a comedy to a horror novel. I personally do not have much experience with novels, I don't really like to read so I'm struggling for words. I do know that a novel must have a good plot and story line to keep the reader intrigued with the novel.
ReplyDeleteA novel to me is a story that takes you on an adventure using your imagination. As you begin to read a novel we create our own pictures in our mind on how we view the story in relation to how it is presented to us. Novels tell stories, which are usually defined as a series of events described in a sequence. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has risen to prominence and remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. Its form and presentation tends to change with the times, but it remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world. Novels are often beloved for their creation of spectacular worlds, empathetic characters, and carefully thought out arguments. They are often seen as a boundless realm of exploration and creativity, with subgenres springing up to include nearly every type of subject that can be written about. They occur in many genres, from science fiction to business, women’s interest, and legal thrillers. Reading novels allows us to enter a fantasy world where anything is possible within the reader’s comprehension. We are not limited by what is contained in the reading. Movies give us only visuals of a story that are enhanced by special effects and other dependent. Novels are usually the precursor to movies we watch and love. Reading others work puts us on the same plane as the writer, it gives us insight into the concepts and the deeper meanings in the writers mind. Even though we may never fully understand the writers point but reading novels will encourage us to think by viewing the story from someone on the outside looking in.
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