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According to the Booker judges we have an answer.
Extract from the Books section in the online Times.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2402836.ece
'The competition between the two authors for the Booker is such that Ladbrokes has tipped On Chesil Beach as the 6-4 favourite to win, with Master Pip in second place at 4-1.
Nick Weinberg, of Ladbrokes, said: The furore surrounding On Chesil Beach and whether it should have made the shortlist hasnt put off the punters. A McEwan win will mean a five-figure payout for us already. Its the result we are now dreading.
McEwan has won the Booker Prize previously with his novel Amsterdam in 1998, while Atonement lost out in 2001 to Peter Careys True History of the Kelly Gang. As to the question of whether On Chesil Beach is a long enough work to qualify as a novel, the competitions judges have stated
that it does because the dictionary definition of a novella is a short novel. Sir Howard Davies, the chairman of the judging panel, said of McEwans entry: We dont think its at all slight in terms of its emotional steps. Its a very tight and very taut novel. Although it was focused on a few hours in one scene, it reflected huge depth in characterisation, he added'
So now you can honestly claim that your novella is a novel- if McEwan can get away with it...
Agree with you on that Jay.
When a book is short and it's a hardback it isn't so obvious.
When it's a paperback novel by a well-known writer, then the paying public may feel cheated, especially if the publisher expects the reader to pay £6.99+ for it.
I think we've discussed this before. Anything under 40,000 is a novella and over is a novel. However, publishers have different ideas. A crime novel has to be at least 80,000 words, but a romance novel is about 60,000. Anything over 120,000 in my opinion is a brick!.
Stirling, most romances now are 90,000 up to 120,000 depending on the type, and whether it's American or English- which publisher it is etc. The 60,000 figure is usually your shorter M&B type books.
then again books that are referred to as 'children's novel' (not 'children's novella') can be as short as 25,000 words. My children's novel is 38,000 words and that was considered long - before Harry Potter of course!
Comments
Extract from the Books section in the online Times.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2402836.ece
'The competition between the two authors for the Booker is such that Ladbrokes has tipped On Chesil Beach as the 6-4 favourite to win, with Master Pip in second place at 4-1.
Nick Weinberg, of Ladbrokes, said: The furore surrounding On Chesil Beach and whether it should have made the shortlist hasnt put off the punters. A McEwan win will mean a five-figure payout for us already. Its the result we are now dreading.
McEwan has won the Booker Prize previously with his novel Amsterdam in 1998, while Atonement lost out in 2001 to Peter Careys True History of the Kelly Gang. As to the question of whether On Chesil Beach is a long enough work to qualify as a novel, the competitions judges have stated
that it does because the dictionary definition of a novella is a short novel. Sir Howard Davies, the chairman of the judging panel, said of McEwans entry: We dont think its at all slight in terms of its emotional steps. Its a very tight and very taut novel. Although it was focused on a few hours in one scene, it reflected huge depth in characterisation, he added'
So now you can honestly claim that your novella is a novel- if McEwan can get away with it...
And I don't think the public would always understand what 'novella' meant.
When a book is short and it's a hardback it isn't so obvious.
When it's a paperback novel by a well-known writer, then the paying public may feel cheated, especially if the publisher expects the reader to pay £6.99+ for it.