Submitted by Paul Daley on
Writing a short novel is an enviable skill that, when pulled off, can be utterly transportive. Here are some recent favourites
- What’s the best short book you’ve ever read? Join us in the comments
In recent weeks and months, more by chance than planning, I’ve been reading more much shorter books than I usually do. A slow and careful reader, I take on average a week to finish a 300-page novel (I once read that most adult novels are between 70,000 to 120,000 words). Nonfiction books usually take me significantly longer.
I recently took six weeks to finish Mister Mister by Guy Gunaratne (374 pages) for a review – but that had as much to do with my walking away after every 20 or so pages, sometimes for days, to contemplate the provocation of this fine novel.
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