--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a novel, right? What’s it about?”…" description: "\"“It’s a novel, right? What’s it about?” Why did people ask “What is it about?” as if a novel had to be about only one thing.”\" — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_books_it-s-a-novel-right-what-s-it-about-why-d_841668.png" --- # It’s a novel, right? What’s it about?” Why did people ask… ![“It’s a novel, right? What’s it about?” Why did people ask “What is it about?” as if a novel had to be about only one thing.” quote by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_books_it-s-a-novel-right-what-s-it-about-why-d_841668.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_books_it-s-a-novel-right-what-s-it-about-why-d_841668.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_books_it-s-a-novel-right-what-s-it-about-why-d_841668.png) > ““It’s a novel, right? What’s it about?” Why did people ask “What is it about?” as if a novel had to be about only one thing.”” [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questions reveal that narratives can be multifaceted, not limited to a single theme. **In simple terms:** Stories have many layers. Key Takeaway Explore multiple perspectives in narratives. Themes literature storytelling diversity Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing - media analysis Key Concepts narrative complexity authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How many interpretations can a story hold? - What does “single story” limit understanding? A Different Perspective Insisting on a single interpretation can oversimplify richness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Why did people ask "What is it about?" as if a novel had to be about only one thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/why-did-people-ask-what-is-it-about-as-if-a-novel-had-to-be-about/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [The liveliest effusions of wit and humour are simply what the reader of a novel has a right to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-liveliest-effusions-of-wit-and-humour-are-simply-what-the-reader/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [If I'm reading something I happen to know and gets it wrong, I just don't trust the book any more. What I ask of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/if-i-m-reading-something-i-happen-to-know-and-gets-it-wrong-i-just/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Dare to ask, "Where is my novel too simple?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/dare-to-ask-where-is-my-novel-too-simple/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [The ordinariness of living to be old is too novel a thing to appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/the-ordinariness-of-living-to-be-old-is-too-novel-a-thing-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [Radio, or at least the kind of radio we're proposing to do, can cut through that. It can reach people who would otherwise never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/radio-or-at-least-the-kind-of-radio-we-re-proposing-to-do-can-cut/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I've had stuff of mine adapted by other people, so I've come to the conclusion that a movie is a different form from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/i-ve-had-stuff-of-mine-adapted-by-other-people-so-i-ve-come-to-the/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/at-the-time-i-begin-writing-a-novel-the-last-thing-i-want-to-do-is/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [No one says a novel has to be one thing. It can be anything it wants to be, a vaudeville show, the six o’clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/no-one-says-a-novel-has-to-be-one-thing-it-can-be-anything-it-wants/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“The one thing is fiction in a novel and the other thing is reality. With fiction you don't make a fuss - you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-one-thing-is-fiction-in-a-novel-and-the-other-thing-is-reality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know a lot of people think a cappella is this cutesy, kind of novel thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-olusola/i-know-a-lot-of-people-think-a-cappella-is-this-cutesy-kind-of-novel/) [Kevin Olusola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-olusola/) > [A lot of people ask me about my past. It's part of my life, so I expect people to ask certain questions. Maybe they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letoya-luckett/a-lot-of-people-ask-me-about-my-past-it-s-part-of-my-life-so-i-expect/) [LeToya Luckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letoya-luckett/) > [When people ask me exactly how much time I spend in each country, I always tell them I have no idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/utada-hikaru/when-people-ask-me-exactly-how-much-time-i-spend-in-each-country-i/) [Utada Hikaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/utada-hikaru/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [When I see scarves or shirts, I think: 'Why have they got my name on? They could have Pogba or Rashford or Lingard.' When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-james/when-i-see-scarves-or-shirts-i-think-why-have-they-got-my-name-on/) [Daniel James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-james/) ## More by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie > [“What I’ve noticed being here is that many English people are in awe of America but also deeply resent it,” Obinze added. “Perfectly true,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/what-i-ve-noticed-being-here-is-that-many-english-people-are-in-awe/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Because human beings lived then in a world in which physical strength was the most important attribute for survival; the physically stronger person was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/because-human-beings-lived-then-in-a-world-in-which-physical-strength/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [To return to the books of my childhood is to yield to the strain of nostalgia that is curious about the self I once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/to-return-to-the-books-of-my-childhood-is-to-yield-to-the-strain-of/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I think white women need to wake up and say, 'Not all women are white,' three times in front of the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-think-white-women-need-to-wake-up-and-say-not-all-women-are-white/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. If we have sons, we don't mind knowing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/we-teach-girls-that-they-cannot-be-sexual-beings-in-the-way-that-boys/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Alexa, and the other guests, and perhaps even Georgina, all understood the fleeing from war, from the kind of poverty that crushed human souls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/alexa-and-the-other-guests-and-perhaps-even-georgina-all-understood/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“I discovered race in America and it fascinated me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-discovered-race-in-america-and-it-fascinated-me/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“It was not as if he did not know what living in Lagos could do to a woman married to a young and wealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/it-was-not-as-if-he-did-not-know-what-living-in-lagos-could-do-to-a/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“They have the kinds of things we can eat.' An unease crept up on Ifemelu. She was comfortable here, and she wished she were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/they-have-the-kinds-of-things-we-can-eat-an-unease-crept-up-on/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If I were not African, I wonder whether it would be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-i-were-not-african-i-wonder-whether-it-would-be-clear-to-me-that/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“But race is not biology; race is sociology. Race is not genotype; race is phenotype. Race matters because of racism. 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