How Long is Too Long?

What’s your opinion of thick books versus thin? Some of what I call “flukes” of recent past became “instant” bestsellers, in my humble opinion, partly because they were short enough for a quick read. Among these, Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller runs 208 pages, a reasonable length, while The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans is barely 128 pages.

When writing students ask how long a book should be, my answer is always, “As long as it needs to be to tell the story.” And I believe that. Yet, in reviewing the Advanced Reader Copy of Emissary for final revisions before its publish date, December 2, I was about 50 pages in when it seemed to be getting “longish.”

How do I explain that other than to say it was starting slow. Now, this was a proof-read, checking for typos and such, which is quite different from reading a book fresh. Another thing I tell students is, “Grab the reader’s attention on the first page and hold it.” Had I done that? I certainly thought so, but then why was it feeling longish?

To bolster confidence, I checked the page count on some of my favorite Stephen King books. Like me, he believes a story should be as long as it needs to be and, also like me, he likes to introduce his characters before dropping a body out of the air. Doctor Sleep, 560 pages. The Shining, 688 pages. The Stand, a whopping 1200 pages. Then just for fun, I checked out J.R.R Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, 1178 pages, and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, 1296 pages. Next to that lineup, Emissary at 434 pages didn’t seem longish at all.

And I have to confess, as I read deeper into the book and became reacquainted with characters I had set aside for awhile to get some distance before proofing, the pages turned faster, and I was enjoying the story all over again.

Long or short, my favorite books are those I can read with pleasure again and again, even when they’re my own (she said modestly). This one’s a keeper.

Pre-Order Emissary now at charthousepress.com/books/emissary