First: the short story and how it differs from the novel
Point 1 of 10 — Lesson 2: The Church Lit Up by Ibrahim Aslan and the Compression of the Short StoryQuestion bank: 0 questions (0 with pictures)
01First: the short story and how it differs from the novel
The concept
The novel isone artistic form of story in general, and the short storyanother artistic form marked by its shortness.
Its shortness is flexible: in reading time from a few minutes up to two hours, andin size from under a thousand words to about twelve thousand.
If it grows beyond that, up to thirty thousand words, it is counted as a short novel.
Thedecisive difference between the short story and the novel is the nature of the artistic build, not length alone.
The short storyis not the condensation of a long tale; it isa work of art with a firm, tight structure.
Comparing the novel and the short story
Point of comparison
The novel
The short story
Life presented
A whole life of one character, or the lives of several
One situation or one concentrated moment
Characters
Many
Limited
Events
Numerous and branching
Few
Time
Stretches over years
Usually short in range
Place
Places are many
Limited
Language
Expansion, and comprehensive precise description to imitate reality
The utmost conciseness: every description is intended and every phrase carries a sense
Deletion
Some scenes or dialogues can be cut without damage
No sentence can be cut without the build being affected
The American writerEdgar Allan Poeheld thatno sentence or word can be removed from a short story without its structure being affected — an overstatement, but one thatdoes not negate the underlying principle.
The aim of the short story
Delivering a message to the receiver: an idea, a point, or a particular impression.
It doesnotpresent it asflat direct statement, butembodies it in a tale that imitates real life, so that the reader is drawn to follow it and to reflect on it.
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