Shortness is an aesthetic quality. This is not because short books are more concise, work better for certain sorts of subjects, encourage taut plots, or anything else like that. Short books do achieve those things, at their best, but they are not inherent in shortness, anymore than longness inevitably leads to Franzen-esque digressions about the state of the North American songbird population.
Thank you - I agree. The bloated, indulgent novel is exhausting and there is a kind of loss aversion when half-way through, to grit your teeth and heroically continue to the end. Glad to see Midnight's Children mentioned in the comments - one of my favourite novels. I have ordered the Solace novel on your recommendation
Thank you - I agree. The bloated, indulgent novel is exhausting and there is a kind of loss aversion when half-way through, to grit your teeth and heroically continue to the end. Glad to see Midnight's Children mentioned in the comments - one of my favourite novels. I have ordered the Solace novel on your recommendation
Oh I'm so glad! Please do let me know what you think
There are some honourable exceptions, but it's a genre someone ought to get busy trying to subvert