Art Quote by Ambrose Bierce
““NOVEL, n. A short story padded. A species of composition bearing the same relation to literature that the panorama bears to art. As it is too long to be read at a sitting the impressions made by its successive parts are successively effaced, as in the panorama. Unity, totality of effect, is impossible; for besides the few pages last read all that is carried in mind is the mere plot of what has gone before. To the romance the novel is what photography is to painting. Its distinguishing principle, probability, corresponds to the literal actuality of the photograph and puts it distinctly into the category of reporting; whereas the free wing of the romancer enables him to mount to such altitudes of imagination as he may be fitted to attain; and the first three essentials of the literary art are imagination, imagination and imagination. The art of writing novels, such as it was, is long dead everywhere except in Russia, where it is new. Peace to its ashes — some of which have a large sale.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Novel" by Ambrose Bierce, 1888
Bierce critiques the novel as a fragmented, less cohesive form than other arts, emphasizing its reliance on probability over imagination and suggesting its decline outside Russia.
In simple terms: Novels are seen as disjointed and less imaginative compared to other art forms.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of the novel’s structure.
Themes
literary criticism
form
imagination
probability
culture
decline
Mood
reflective
critical
analytical
Type
critical
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic discussion
- creative writing workshops
- literary analysis
- book clubs
- publishing strategies
Key Concepts
narrative cohesion
probability vs imagination
literary evolution
Questions to Reflect On
- Can modern novels overcome the fragmentation Bierce describes?
- How does probability shape storytelling?
A Different Perspective
The novel can still achieve unity through innovative narrative techniques.
