Novel vs Novella: Difference and Comparison

Imagination is beautiful. Imagination is magic. And from imagination comes Fiction. Fiction writing is an imaginary form of narration of literature. It combines scenes or events deliberately built to explain a certain situation.

Sometimes, fiction can be very engaging and sometimes very boring. It varies from one reader to another. Fiction has a versatile way of depicting literature in prose texts. On the other side is Non-fiction, the in-and-out opposite of fiction.

Novel and Novella are two different styles of fiction. The difference between the two has always been a matter of debate. This is because the definition of a novella is not quite the same everywhere.

Key Takeaways

1. Novels are longer works of fiction with more complex storylines and character development, while novellas are shorter than novels but longer than short stories.
2. Novels explore multiple themes and have a more extensive range of characters, while novellas focus on a single theme or event.
3. Novellas require a more concise and focused writing style, while novels allow more exploration and elaboration of themes and characters.

Novel vs Novella

A novel is a long work of fiction with a complex plot and developed characters, and it is divided into chapters. A novella is shorter than a novel, with a simpler plot and fewer characters; it is longer than a short story, with more detail.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Novel	Novella
Definition	It is a fictional narrative of a situation with a typical arrangement of characters, themes and a hint of realism.	It is a fictional narrative between a novel and a short story but differs from both.
Length	For a fictional piece of writing to be a novel, it should have more than 200 pages.	It is shorter than a novel having about 200 pages in total.
Word count	The word count is more than 40,000 words and can go maximum up to 80,000 words.	The word count is 20,000 to 40,000 words approximately.
Plot	It has a complex plot presented by multiple characterisations with a detailed explanation.	It has a plot that is less complex and more focused as compared to a novel.
Characterisation and theme	It contains a wide range of characters along with many themes and sub-themes.	It has less number of characters and themes than a novel.
Chapter division	It is written in scenes, so it is sometimes divided into chapters and even volumes.	It is a single piece of writing and does not have any chapters as such.

What is Novel?

A novel is a fictional form of narration that explains a series of interconnected scenes or events. It is considered as the longest genre of fiction in modern literature. It contains more than 200 pages that have words above 40,000.

The word novel is derived from an Italian word, novella, which means “new”. Moreover, the author of “Don Quixote”, Miguel De Cervantes, is considered the first prominent novelist of modern literature.

Characters and themes are what describe a novel in a real sense. Novels also can be made in different genres. Thriller, mystery, fantasy, romance and supernatural are some of them. These novels come divided into chapters, or sometimes, even volumes.

Although everyone has a difference in opinion when it comes to deciding the best among the others, mutually, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “The Great Gatsby”, “A Passage to India”, etc., are examples of some of the most famous novels ever.

In the book “The Rise of the Novel” (1957) by Ian Watt, it was discovered that the birth of the modern novel was only after the 17th century ended. Undoubtedly, this novel is still one of the best-written English novels. It is so beautifully expressed and organized.

What is Novella?

A novella is a fictional narrative between a novel and a short story in length. It consists of about 200 pages with 20,000 to 40,000 words approximately.

Surprisingly, the word novella is also derived from the same Italian word, which means “new”. Novellas became part of modern literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is less complicated and has fewer characters and themes when compared to a novel.

Unlike a novel, it is not divided into chapters and can be read completely in one sitting. Some examples of famous novellas are H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine”, Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince”, Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”, etc.

In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a sudden increase in the interest of readers, writers and publishers in using novellas. It started to become more popular day by day. However, unfortunately, its definition is confused with a novelette, short story and short novel even today.

Main Differences Between Novel and Novella

1. A novel is a fictional story explained in detail, whereas, Novella lies between the novel and a short story.
2. A novel is longer than a novella and has more pages in it. The word count is also more in the case of the novel.
3. A novel has a less complex plot and is more focused than a novel.
4. The number of characters and themes in a novel is more than in the novella.
5. The novel is divided into chapters and even volumes in some, but the novella does not have any chapter division.

References

1. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=PmwfH7X-IKAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=info:5GCnA60Eg_cJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=FXYpRtcLpn&sig=XGTkM6T_NqL5RuBlb96rK_Q4x6s&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
2. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=a1LoBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&dq=info:FdrOTBXIpYEJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=pHJ4RC3uS2&sig=ao5nMQOdBZRgMOG7SZU2Pg60mfE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023