Do You Have An Ideal Page Count For Novels? (2/3/19)

[Marc]

Is there a page count or range that you gravitate to when it comes to novels? Has this changed over time?

[Hugh]

Page count can be a blunt tool, as it depends a lot on page size, print size, line spacing and the amount of white space (and the time needed to read a book often depends on other factors such as vocabulary, length of sentences, complexity of ideas and anything that needs looking up).

I don't generally worry about it, but subconsciously there is probably a tendency to avoid anything longer than 600 pages unless there are strong reasons to read them, and this probably does stop me reading more classics...

And less than 100 pages in a full priced book can leave one feeling short changed.

[C I N D L E]

Glad to see this question because I think about it frequently and I have a shelf dedicated to it. Once I’ve briefed a book’s synopsis to find it has themes that I’d love to read about, the cherry on top is always when I discover it is 500+ pages.

I love to delve deep into novels with sharp character portrayals, evocative subtexts, and rhythmic writing style: when an author takes their time to achieve all three, I find it more rewarding when it’s a longer read. Not to say such writing can’t be accomplished in 350 pages, but 475-500 pages or more makes it more worthwhile for me personally.

Incidentally, my current read as of this comment is ‘A Little Life’, which is 720 pages. The author’s writing is dense, architectural, vibrant, and thoroughly detailed. I’m about 3/4 done with it and I can’t imagine she’d be able to tell the same story with the same effect in only 400 pages.

I’m not always looking out for longer reads but when I discover them, I delight in all they have to offer. In my experience, they have many more gems for the reader.

[Neil]

I think my short answer is no. I pick books based on subject matter, favourite authors, friends’ recommendations etc. and I never give a thought to page count until I start reading.

About half my reading is on my Kindle and I normally turn off all the progress indicators, including the artificial page numbering, if it is available.

I have certainly read books where I have been surprised by the page count (too few or too many), but page count is not a factor is choosing a book.

[David]

I am always reading short stories as well as novels, for me the ideal length for a story is novella-length, and currently I am reading a book that is more than 250,000 words long. So no, length does not affect my reading decisions.

[Robert]

Really I take notice of the subject matter. To date I've never found a thick book daunting.

[Hugh]

I am not really saying I find long books daunting, but it is certainly true that unless a book has an established critical reputation, I would be less likely to pick it up if it looks too long. This is partly because I like to finish the books I start, and a bad long book can take a very long time to read!

[David]

Hugh wrote: "This is partly because I like to finish the books I start, and a bad long book can take a very long time to read!"

Ah, Hugh! You gotta learn to embrace the DNF! Being able to decide not to finish a book is a very liberating experience. It also means that there are times when I am unsure whether or not I will want to read a book, so I just start reading it knowing that if after an hour, or a day, or longer I can change my mind and stop.

Recently I was halfway through a 100,000 words (~300 pages) into a book and decided to drop it. No regrets! With very very long books, I have a couple of times been far less than halfway through, but still read more than what would be an entire novel for another book and thought, "I gave it enough time" and dropped it.

The major benefit to embracing the DNF is that sometimes when I am not sure if I really want to read the book and I just start it anyway knowing I can let myself stop at any time, I end up loving the book, a book I might not have tried otherwise. Starting a novel should be like a first date, not a marriage. It's like a trial subscription rather than a lifetime membership. The DNF is your friend who expands your opportunities. So I say embrace the DNF!

[Robert]

I agree - Why waste time reading a book you are not enjoying? You can always return to it when the circumstances are better.

[H Anthony]

A good book about 200 pages long is about the most perfect thing in this world, I think.

[Paul]

I hate DNFing books - think of the last say 500 I have read have only done it once (The Nix) and another time I skim read the last 750 (!) pages or so (The Kindly Ones).

To me the first date is reading reviews, looking at it, maybe even reading the Kindle sample (2nd date?) - but marking it 'currently reading' on Goodreads is changing my Facebook status to 'in a committed relationship.'

[Lark]

H Anthony wrote: "A good book about 200 pages long is about the most perfect thing in this world, I think."

I'm with you! I love a book that I can finish in one long languid raining-outside-so-I-might-as-well-read day, or even a couple of hours. Fever Dream and The Mussel Feast come to mind.

Now that I've said that there is also nothing I love more than going back to Karamazov Brothers or Magic Mountain and taking weeks and weeks to read them.

[Drew]

I used to feel that a book less than about 350 pages was not going to be long enough to do justice to the subject but I no longer feel that way. Length does not influence my reading decisions unless I'm going on a train trip (or long flight) and I want to make sure I have enough reading material. (Yes, I know my Kindle is full of books.)

[Nadine in California]

H Anthony wrote: "A good book about 200 pages long is about the most perfect thing in this world, I think."

Most of the 5 star books I've read have been under 300 pages, and it's made me notice how many longer books would be so much better if they were edited down to their fighting weight. I don't shy away from longer books (400 + pages), but I'm much more aware of excess baggage when I read them, and if it's bad enough, I will bail no matter how far along I am. But some long books I've read have needed every word - for example the 600 page Skippy Dies. To quote James McBride quoting James Brown, "kill'em and leave".

[David]

Paul wrote: "To me the first date is reading reviews, looking at it, maybe even reading the Kindle sample (2nd date?) - but marking it 'currently reading' on Goodreads is changing my Facebook status to 'in a committed relationship.' "

I'm going to belabour this metaphor one more time. Reading reviews is like asking mutual friends what they think about asking the person out. The Kindle sample is like a casual meeting before you ask the person out. Chapter 1 is the first date.

I don't ever use the Goodreads "currently reading" and I am not on Facebook so the analogy breaks down for me there, but I would say the same about both: Don't let technology define your relationship.

[Lily]

Cindle | kindle w/a C. wrote: "I’m about 3/4 done with it and I can’t imagine she’d be able to tell the same story with the same effect in only 400 pages. ..."

True enough, but 3/4 is about the point that I decided the other things I was reading were better use of my time and skimmed the remainder of that book. What had been fascinating reached the fanatical for me -- at a time when I was watching an acquaintance with mental health issues go through some equally strong resistance to keeping ahold of something that could remotely be called balanced living. Rather like with Tartt's The Goldfinch, I felt in the midst of a good story, rather than something that was giving me the depth or breadth of insight I needed or sought at that point in time. I doubt I shall ever return to Yanagihara's A Little Life , even though I own the audible version of it -- perhaps because, when I stopped reading it, I loaned my paperback to a friend who died too young of pancreatic cancer, probably before she had a chance to read it, even though she had been rather insistent that she wanted to read that book. I'm not about to buy another copy, nor ask her family to return that one. So some books take on unexpected journeys of their own, related or not to their contents.

[James E.]

No preference but upon reflection I tend to enjoy longish books and feel no need to rush through them. Read Bolano's 2666 a while back and loved moving through the volumes. I also find very short books (like under 200 pp.) not so enjoyable

[Ellen]

I read books of every length: I love short stories and I love the long ones like Infinite Jest and Dostoevsky's The Idiot. But my favorite when I start is 300-350 pages. Longer than that, I feel like I'm making a huge time commitment no matter how much I enjoy it. I'm fine with less but I find 300 pages generally satisfying.

Of course, my reading doesn't really reflect this. I admit I've changed my reading habits under the pressure of the GR count obsession but I'm working on changing this back to my old disregard of "how many" I've read to "how much" I've gotten from the reading.

[Hugh]

I don't have an ideal target length, but my average is about 300 pages...

[Whitney]

My reading on Kindle has made me less aware of how long books actually are, whereas pulling them off a shelf I'll sometimes demure in favor of a quicker or longer read, depending on my mood.

I'll still pause for more preparation before reading door stops (or kitten squishers, as a fellow Goodreader calls them), if they are books that demand a little more effort. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, The Man Without Qualities, and Don Quixote are all waiting for me to make a commitment.

[Jess]

I tend to steer clear of novellas unless they are free on Gutenberg because I feel a bit cheated to pay the same as I would for a novel to read something much shorter.

Other than that I don't purposefully choose a certain page length but most of my books fall within the 300-500 page range.

[Marc]

I don't personally give a lot of thought to page count, although I share many concerns expressed above:

- Will save for later or hesitate to dive into longer (500+ pg) books depending on what else I'm reading or whether there are group reads I'm trying to join

- Tend to like the 250-400 range (in terms of getting into a story but not feeling like I'll be reading the same book for a month)

- I like how much room to breathe and digress (potentially) there is in longer books; they tend to be messier, but still some of my favorites

- Might hesitate to spend a lot ($12+) on smaller books (<150 pgs) opting instead to borrow (or steal--just kidding)

-Like the convenience of e-readers, but hate not feeling the pages and not being able to actually see the number of pages left ("50% progress" or "page 200 of 400" is not the same as holding that in your hands or seeing how thick that many pages is).

- I like short story and poetry collections on the smaller side (<200 pgs), especially if by the same author

[Michael]

David wrote: "Hugh wrote: "This is partly because I like to finish the books I start, and a bad long book can take a very long time to read!"

Ah, Hugh! You gotta learn to embrace the DNF! Being able to decide n..."

I allow for Nancy Pearl to light my DNF list:
“If you're 50 years old or younger, give every book about 50 pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give it up.

If you're over 50, which is when time gets shorter, subtract your age from 100 - the result is the number of pages you should read before deciding whether or not to quit. If you're 100 or over you get to judge the book by its cover, despite the dangers in doing so.”

Best librarian ever, she makes me laugh, so I definitely agree! If it doesn't cater to my interest or attention--I don't force a book that isn't meant to live in my personal brain. After all, there are 129,864,879 other books out there, waiting to be your oyster.

[Michael]

Marc wrote: "Is there a page count or range that you gravitate to when it comes to novels? Has this changed over time?"

But to answer the question: when in B&N, I tend to grab at books in the <300 page range. If much over that, I get stressed I won't finish it in a short amount of sittings (I tend to agonize over character decisions and actions throughout the next day if left unresolved).

I do like longer books! But mostly non-fiction reads and memoirs. For fiction, I do enjoy the quicker variety. I adore anthologies for this reason as well.

[Bernadette]

As a reader I do not have an ideal page count. Some books simply need more pages to tell their story. If I want to read a book the fact that it is a novella or a hefty tome is immaterial. Having said that, reading a book that overstays its welcome is one of the saddest things that can happen. It could have so easily have been rectified by a discerning editor or publisher.

With my publisher’s hat on I favour books this side of 100,000 words. Just because for a small publisher the logistics of larger books are more challenging.

[Lily]

Marc -- thanks for this question! And to others for their answers! It all has been very thought-provoking and led to some soul searching about my own reading habits. Initially I would have said that length matters little to me. But, on reflection, I realize I seldom read short stories, as I once did from magazines. Yearly anthologies sit unread enough on my shelves that I no longer even buy them. If my f2f book club suggests a book longer than 400 pages (with my preference about 280-360), I ask my colleagues to consider carefully or perhaps give us more than one month. For me, that smaller range is always readable -- in a few hours or days with other tasks delayed or rearranged if need be. Once that 500 page mark is reached, some level of persistence is required and, worse for me, perhaps sidelining other reads-in-progress. I always have at least two books being read simultaneously, leading one of my f2f colleagues to accuse me of "readultery." (See Powell's for definition: https://www.powells.com/post/readerly...) Perhaps why I enjoyed so much the play between Paul and David with their compare/contrast with dating relationships. If a book can't stand up to delays, in my world it is probably more accurate to say it gets abandoned to other choices than belongs to some conscious DNF decision.

It took me years to finally read Moby-Dick, or, the Whale (~700 pp); two guided reads for Anna Karenina (900+? pp.) and a third paired with a modern twist, two guided reads for War and Peace (~1300 pp.); and another guided read for Dante's Divine Comedy, in all three parts. This last, I still call "sorta read" in its entirety. Both Tolstoy and Dante I enjoyed under the leadership of the incredible Laurel as a moderator, some here on Goodreads and earlier back at Barnes and Noble. Proust and Trollope and Balzac come in pieces, and Trollope is by the far the easiest and quickest for me to digest, but perhaps tedious after awhile. I much enjoyed the 736 pages of John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies last year, but The Big Green Tent (576 pp) sits accusingly untouched on the coffee table. So it goes -- enough rambling for now.

[Janice (JG)]

For the longest time, especially when I was a younger & less experienced reader, as far as I was concerned the bigger the better. Since then, I've settled on down to an ideal of 3-400 pages, tho' I will still read a 700-1000+ page novel at the drop of a hat. If it's under 200 pages, tho', I'm probably not going to pick it up.

[Lily]

@20Whitney wrote: "I'll still pause for more preparation before reading door stops (or kitten squishers, as a fellow Goodreader calls them)"

(Smile!) "Kitten Squisher" -- now that's a keeper of an expression! Thx to your fellow Goodreader, Whitney! (And I don't have a cat, but I did have kittens as a youngster, and can still picture a favorite poor little thing scrambling out from under something that toppled off a table....)

[Dorottya]

My sweet spot in a paperback novel with normal spacing and font size is between 300 and 400 pages... but it also depends on the genre and the plot.