Books Quote by Ellen Glasgow
“A good novel cannot be too long nor a bad novel too short.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The World Moves, 1933, by Ellen Glasgow
A well‑crafted novel balances depth and brevity; neither excessive length nor abrupt brevity serves quality.
In simple terms: Good novels need right length.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize substance over size.
Themes
literature
balance
craftsmanship
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
critical
educational
When to use this quote
- Writing workshops
- editing revisions
- publishing decisions
Key Concepts
Narrative pacing
editing
reader engagement
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide a story is complete?
- When does trimming improve a novel?
A Different Perspective
Length alone doesn’t guarantee depth; pacing matters.
![“If I organize my life in such a way that I get lots of long, consecutive, uninterrupted time-chunks, I can write novels. [If I instead get interrupted a lot] what replaces it? Instead of a novel that will be around for a long time… there is a bunch of e-mail messages that I have sent out to…” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/90e/cal-newport-1302_books_if-i-organize-my-life-in-such-a-way-that_1000847.jpg)
