Chapters or no chapters

[Gregory]

Every once in a while I run across a book that isn't divided into chapters. Sometimes they simply divide up in smaller chunks with double spaces setting them apart, and in some books the narrative just goes on and on. I kind of like have natural stopping places in a book, but how do you all feel about it? Do traditional 10-20 page chapter divisions matter to you? I'm plotting my next novel right now, so any and all thoughts are welcome.

[El]

I prefer chapters over non-chapters. Breaks in the text are okay, but if the breaks divide such completely different thoughts I wonder why the author didn't just make it a chapter break instead. If the narrative just goes on and on, I grow frustrated, mainly because I find it hard to pick a book up again after putting it down when I have to jump right back into the middle of the text again. Long chapters don't offend me much, as long as it's appropriate to the story and not just trying to fulfill some modernist/post-modernist style of writing by being "shocking".

I don't think there were chapter breaks in The Road which was okay because it actually added to the mood of the book (for me anyway). There were breaks in the text that at least allowed me to stop to think about what was happening before moving on again, and if it fits the story then that's all I ask for.

[Lori, Super Mod]

Chapters are a tricky thing for me.
If there are too many (every handful of pages), it's usually frustrating because the author is switching from one part of the story to the other, and never leaves you much time to get situated...

One the other hand, I like having them because they are great stopping places.

When I pick up a book that is broken into Parts instead of chapters, sometimes it forces me to read them quicker (less stopping places, so more pages to read before you find a comfortable place to bookmark it).

The meat of the story can overcome either of these scenarios tho. If it's a great story, and sucks me in, I could care less about whether it contains chapters, Parts, or none of the above!

[Megan]

I definitely like having chapters. There are occasions when no chapter breaks suits me fine, as long as it suits the text as well. But overall, go chapters! Also, I love chapter titles. I know this doesn't work well for all narratives, but I think it's such an excellent test of the author's creativity. Chapter titles can be like nifty word games that have already been solved, and as a reader you get to try and figure out the original question or the method of solving. (An example of this that stands out in my memory-- "An Excess of Phlegm" from HP 6)

[Suzanne]

I love chapters, too. The book I'm reading 'The Poisonwood Bible' has divisions just like the Bible, but each is titled by a characters' name. It is very compelling.

[Becky]

In general, I prefer chapters to none. But it depends on the story, too.

The Road, as El mentioned before, did not have chapter breaks, and that worked for that book. We're following the father and his son throughout the entire story, and the characters weren't given a rest, and neither were we. So it makes sense that it should be one long narrative without breaks.

Cujo, on the other hand, does not have chapters, and it did NOT work, in my opinion. I suppose King can be forgiven for trying something new early in his career, but this one aspect really annoyed me. The narration follows several different lines/characters, jumps around quite frequently, and just doesn't lend itself well to a non-stop style. I think it would have been much better had we had chapter breaks, so that we know that we're switching gears and catching up with someone else's story.

I hope that makes sense. :)

[Ashley]

I definitely prefer chapters to none at all. I find it easier to read-through a book faster that has small chapters rather than long ones, mostly because I usually want to finish a chapter before putting it down. If it's late at night, I don't want to go through 20 pages of small print in order to finish a chapter (as in the Mercy Thompson series), but would much rather read in shorter chunks of 5-10 pages, so I don't feel like such a traitor if I set it down.

[Becky]

See I think 5-10 pages is too short for every chapter. Chapters that short make me feel like I have attention issues or something, like the author thinks that I'm not capable of following one thing for too long, so they have to break it up for me. LOL

If the chapter is too long for me to finish before I can't stay awake any longer, I just find a spot where something new happens and call it a day at that point. :)

[Julie]

I like shorter chapters better, i hate stopping in the middle of the text, and i feel like i read faster with shorter chapters, when i finish one, i'll think, oh its short i have time for one more, and soon ill end up having 100 pages being read. I hate when books dont have chapters and are broken up chopily, i agree with what u were saying before, that you cannot gather your thoughts, and soon everything gets jumbled

[Jensownzoo]

I feel that chapter breaks are almost like coming up for air (a necessity for all divers, eventually), even if all you do is spend an extra fraction of a second moving your eyes to the first sentence in the new chapter. With chapters too short, it feels like hyperventilating, though. :-P

I would say that I like to have chapter breaks when it feels natural, usually resulting in differing lengths. Like others, sometimes the lack of chapters just feeds the overall mood of the story. Sort of like that axiom that you first need to know the rules inside and out so that when you break them you can do it deliberately and with purpose.

[Catamorandi]

I definitely prefer chapters. I like shorter chapters better for the reasons already mentioned, mostly the one about wanting to get to the end of the chapter. It is a great stopping place, as others have mentioned.

[Gregory]

My wife used to laugh at me when I'd say I just needed to keep reading until I found a good stopping place. Now she does the same. Good to know we're not alone.

[Carol]

Chapters!! I need them to stop reading... hate books without chapter that I can´t find a good pause to take a break.

[vicki_girl]

I think Jensownzoo stated it perfectly. It's exactly how I feel! Especially the hyperventilating comment.

I read a book once that had a new chapter every two to three pages. Drove Me In-Sane! A short chapter now and then can be effective (I've read few that were only a paragraph, or a few sentences), but not every single one please! However, long chapters or no chapters at all justs wears me out, like trying to run a marathon...

[Kandice]

Overall, I prefer chapters of varying length to no chapters. Certain stories flow better without actual chpater breaks, but the double spaced breaks usually solve that problem for me.

I don't have a problem with super short chapters, IF the story is breakneck speed, switching scenes, perspectives, whatever. Patterson comes to mind. His books are mostly action, though. A book that begs for reflection definitely needs longer chapters.

My favorite spacing for a book utilizes books, or parts. I know this won't always work, but when it does, I prefer it.

I also enjoy titled books, parts or chapters. Again, this isn't always practical, but some authors get pretty creative with their titles, and I love finding the little nugget that makes the title relevant. Gaiman comes to mind in this instance.

[Dan]

I think the length of chapters - or the absence of them - is a clue to the pace that the author intended for the story. Length or presence of chapters are less important to me than is how well the chapter structure fits with the "feel" of the story. Having no chapters worked well for The Road. Short chapters were perfect for The Unbearable Lightness of Being because they tended to convey a lightness. Short chapters or an absence of chapters would make an epic tale like The Lord of the Rings almost unreadable.

[[ JT ]]

I definitely prefer chapters of any various lengths (well, let's be reasonable... a chapter should probably be from a handful to 40ish pages).

Right now I am reading a book that has only 3 chapters-- but it's over 500 pages long. In reality, this SHOULD be a 3 "part" book as each "chapter" is about a separate event/group of characters. It's driving me a little crazy, actually, because there aren't very many good stopping places at all and I have had an almost impossible time getting through the first "chapter". I kept having to put the book down at weird moments and it was very difficult to jump back into the story.

[Chrissie]

I prefer books without chapters. I like it when books deviate from typical structures. The Road, as people mentioned previously, works because of the overall narrative tone. Other books separate based on if a different character is speaking (ie: Franny and Zooey which is actually two stories combined to make the book.) I find that chapter breaks lend to the book being too predictable.

[Usako]

My preference is chapters of a decent length. Too short and it annoys me especially when the too short chapter switch alters the scene to different characters or a location. Why spend 2 pages as a chapter, I'd like to know?

[Liz]

I definitely prefer chapters, or at least breaks in the text. Otherwise I think it's hard to find a decent stopping point, which I don't like.
When it comes to chapter lengths, I really think it depends on the book. I think part of the reason that Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man was daunting to me was because the last chapter was 100 pages, but I think Joyce made it work.

[Emma]

I prefer chapters and not too long. Like 10 pages is perfect. I always stop after a chapter and I just like them to be short LOL

[[deleted user]]

I'm one for chapters definitely and like Emma about 10 pages is good for me. I hate putting a book down in the middle of a chapter (usually a long chapter) so relatively short chapters work for me.

[Lianne]

I prefer chapters because it's a good indicator of where I left off and, in times like these where I have a lot of things going on at school, when I should stop reading. But it depends on the book, I've read a couple of books where there were no chapters but I didn't mind. As for length of chapters, it doesn't really matter to me although it does irk me when some chapters are super short followed by super long chapters xD

[Ashley]

Like Li, one of the main reason I like short chapters is that I like to read a lot during school, and I get a lot of mini-breaks for reading. It provides a good stopping place in case I need to stop reading and actually start paying attention. I often leave my longer chapter books at home, where I'm not constantly interrupted.

[Carol]

I never really thought about chapter verses non chapter. I suspect it makes no difference to me. I can take a book either way. i go for the content.