Sizing Up Novels

I've just finished (and enjoyed) Julian Barnes's 'The Sense of an Ending'. I was pleased that JB has 'earned to right' to publish a novel only 150 pages long. No publisher is likely to turn down a JB typescript, where ordinary mortals would probably have it sent back with a note saying: "Make it 90,000 words and we'll consider your novel". This is a tragedy. Some of my favourite novels are short and sweet. The length of a book should be dictated by the story, not the publisher. Many books would be improved by being halved in size and I, for one, wouldn't feel shortchanged having to pay the same price for a 100 page as a 500 page novel. It's all down to the quality and how the novel moved me) rather than the quantity of paper consumed in publication.