Book 17: Length in Novels.

I have no problems reading novels that are lengthy. If I had a problem with length, then I never would have made it through the Outlander series in 2009. There are other big works of fiction that I also hold dear to my heart, like the Harry Potter books. Their length helps rather than hinders the story, so I have no problem reading them.

I also love short books. I like being able to sit down and go through an entire story in one sitting lasting an hour or so, as long as the story is told well. Two of the books I have already read for my odyssey have been short novellas-Ethan Frome and The Old Man and the Sea. Both of those novellas were well done; the characters were developed, the plot was detailed enough, and the story left me thinking.

So it really bothers me when the scope of a work does not fit with the length. Simple plots and characters don't need as much time to develop as elaborate schemes. Harry Potter condensed into 7 300 page books would be a completely different story. The world that J.K. Rowling created would not be as deep or detailed.

In reading Sons and Lovers, I am finding that I am annoyed with Lawrence's use of page space and how the story is developing. To be quite honest, the first 50 or so pages have nothing to do with the rest of the story. Yes, the description of his mother and father and their early life does provide nice background, but it could have been given in another way. And while I appreciate that Lawrence is setting up the character of Paul Morel and his relationship to his mother, I find it completely aggravating. There is too much language and too much exposition for my tastes.

(I am not saying that I don't enjoy description, because I do, but I hate when the description is overbearing. On with the story, you know?)

And since my edition of Sons and Lovers is 370 pages long, there is a lot of time that I know will be wasted trucking through Lawrence's description and what he deems to be important to the story. I am hoping that when it is finished I will feel differently, but I don't think I will.

It is incredibly hard to like a book that drags on and on with only little spurts of excitement. Dull and monotonous writing bores the reader and this reader is bored with Lawrence. I really hate to be so negative, especially towards a book that I had high hopes for, but I can't help it.

Mind, this is not as bad as when I had to force myself through Great Expectations, but this is still pretty bad.

I know I cannot force myself to like a book and I know there will be other books on this list that I will also dislike for various reasons. Obviously not everything will appeal to me and I have been lucky so far that I have enjoyed pretty much everything I've read, but let me ask you this; Why are all the books I dislike the longest ones? It sure seems like they are!

So here are some questions for you, dear readers:

1. What length of book do you prefer and why?
2. Are there books you have avoided because of their length? If so, what titles?

Thanks, and happy reading!

Book 16: Finished.

Every time I read Ethan Frome I find more to love. Perhaps it is my unabashed LOVE of Edith Wharton, and not necessarily that novel, but I love the story.

Ethan Frome is trapped in what appears to be a loveless marriage. His wife, Zeena, has constant ailments and sicknesses that prevent her from doing much of anything. Ethan's farm is constantly on the verge of going under as he is forced to work it alone. In a sense, Frome is trapped into a life that he never wanted. The only reason he was ever on the farm was to nurse his mother and father back to health. his dream had been to leave the small town life and travel for bigger and better things.

At the time the story begins, Frome is a broken down old man doing his best to keep his home running. He begins to befriend a new person in town, who eventually learns Ethan's story and relates it to the reader.

Prior to the novel beginning, Ethan and Zeena had taken in a young cousin of Zeena's, Maggie Quiksilver, to help around the house to to be Zeena's nurse. A young and beautiful girl, Maggie is also an orphan, with no where else to go. Ethan and Maggie become friends and spend a great deal of time talking to each other. Of course, Zeena is still around and shows her disdain and hatred for Maggie.

Things begin to spiral out of control until tragedy hits. When the story draws to a close, the young man recounts the results of the tragedy and the ruin of Ethan's life.

All of this is accomplished in a mere 77 pages, but the power of the story is like that of a far longer novel.

I have read a great deal of Wharton's work, minus a few novels, but I find that she often manages to create these powerful stories out of nothing. Most of her larger novels are about the upper class and society in New York and other large towns, but this is one of the only about a rural setting. And while many of her other novels are also tragedies, I think this one hits closer to home. I almost think it is a far more realistic version of tragedy.

In any case, I still love this little novella and the memories it holds. It remains one of my all-time favorite pieces of fiction. If you haven't read any Wharton before, start here and you won't be disappointed.