The Novel

A novel is a lot like a short story, but longer. A novel has all of the elements of the short story: plot, character, setting, tone, point of view, style, symbols, and theme. So when you read a novel, you need to pay attention to all of those things, just as in a short story.

And, as in a short story, the author is exploring various themes. Very few novels have a distinct "moral"; as in short stories, the authors tend to explore issues and raise questions, rather than give definitive answers. However, a novel, because of its length, can introduce and develop more characters, can have a more detailed plot, and can develop more complexity in its themes.

Sometimes, because of that very length, it's hard to know what to look for in a novel, other than its plot. So here are a few tips: