--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A novel is in its broadest definition a…" description: "\"“A novel is in its broadest definition a personal, a direct impression of life: that, to begin with, constitutes its value, which is greater or less ac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/henry-james-417_books_a-novel-is-in-its-broadest-definition-a_298779.jpg" --- # A novel is in its broadest definition a personal, a direct… ![“A novel is in its broadest definition a personal, a direct impression of life: that, to begin with, constitutes its value, which is greater or less according to the intensity of the impression” quote by Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/henry-james-417_books_a-novel-is-in-its-broadest-definition-a_298779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/henry-james-417_books_a-novel-is-in-its-broadest-definition-a_298779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/henry-james-417_books_a-novel-is-in-its-broadest-definition-a_298779.jpg) > ““A novel is in its broadest definition a personal, a direct impression of life: that, to begin with, constitutes its value, which is greater or less according to the intensity of the impression”” [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A novel’s worth lies in its personal, vivid portrayal of life, with value measured by the intensity of the author’s impression. **In simple terms:** A novel is valuable when it feels intensely personal. Key Takeaway Seek deep, authentic experiences in writing. Themes literature subjectivity value Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - creative writing - literary criticism - book clubs Key Concepts narrative depth authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - What makes a personal impression resonate widely? - How can intensity be balanced with accessibility? A Different Perspective Subjectivity may limit universal appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Definition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition/) [Definition Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-personal-2859876/) [Impression Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression-life-689514/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Broadest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-broadest-2859875/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Any point of view is interesting that is a direct impression of life. You each have an impression colored by your individual conditions; make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/any-point-of-view-is-interesting-that-is-a-direct-impression-of-life/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Possibly the most interesting first impression of my life came from the world of dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/possibly-the-most-interesting-first-impression-of-my-life-came-from/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [“My impression is that life—a big word, I know—inflicts themes on a writer through certain experiences that impress themselves on his consciousness or subconscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/my-impression-is-that-life-a-big-word-i-know-inflicts-themes-on-a/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [We've created an impression that life is risk-free, and it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-wood/we-ve-created-an-impression-that-life-is-risk-free-and-it-s-not/) [Alastair Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-wood/) > [Its Not How Long You Spend With The Person. But, The Memories You Created With Them, That Will Leave An Impression On Their Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-not-how-long-you-spend-with-the-person-but-the-memories-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...a memoir is meant to be an impression of life, and not a photograph.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-finney-boylan/a-memoir-is-meant-to-be-an-impression-of-life-and-not-a-photograph/) [Jennifer Finney Boylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-finney-boylan/) > [“In literature we move through a blest world in which we know nothing except by style, but in which everything is saved by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/in-literature-we-move-through-a-blest-world-in-which-we-know-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I think the novel form chose me. I was a writer before I became a criminal... my first instinct was to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-think-the-novel-form-chose-me-i-was-a-writer-before-i-became-a/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [I want to write novels. I want to write stories. I want to do the stuff that I became a writer to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-want-to-write-novels-i-want-to-write-stories-i-want-to-do-the-stuff/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. 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Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) ## More by Henry James > [Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/though-there-are-some-disagreeable-things-in-venice-there-is-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“In literature we move through a blest world in which we know nothing except by style, but in which everything is saved by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/in-literature-we-move-through-a-blest-world-in-which-we-know-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I shall stay here as long as I may, I don't want to think — I needn't think. I don't care for anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-shall-stay-here-as-long-as-i-may-i-don-t-want-to-think-i-needn-t/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“...It often seemed to her that she thought too much about herself, you could have made her blush any day of the year, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-often-seemed-to-her-that-she-thought-too-much-about-herself-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I reflected acutely that the sense of such differences, such superiorities of quality, always, on the part of the majority—which could include even stupid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-reflected-acutely-that-the-sense-of-such-differences-such/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“She had had a real fright but had fallen back to earth. 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He has never done a thing in his life exept play games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-no-wonder-he-wins-every-game-he-has-never-done-a-thing-in-his/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Make (the reader) think the evil, make him think it for himself, and you are released from weak specifications. My values are positively all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/make-the-reader-think-the-evil-make-him-think-it-for-himself-and-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“It was the air she wanted and the world she would now exclusively choose; the quiet chambers, nobly overwhelming, rich but slightly veiled, opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-was-the-air-she-wanted-and-the-world-she-would-now-exclusively/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The time-honored bread-sauce of the happy ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-time-honored-bread-sauce-of-the-happy-ending/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) [Explore all 571 Henry James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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