--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A novel is like a long relationship and a…" description: "\"A novel is like a long relationship and a short story is a brief one that lingers - it lingers powerfully and maybe more powerfully. I think that's tru..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/peter-orner-12957_books_a-novel-is-like-a-long-relationship-and_1043568.png" --- # A novel is like a long relationship and a short story is a… ![“A novel is like a long relationship and a short story is a brief one that lingers - it lingers powerfully and maybe more powerfully. I think that's true in a lot of cases, most long-term relationships compared to some of the briefer ones - the intensity of those brief ones that end, I think a…” quote by Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/peter-orner-12957_books_a-novel-is-like-a-long-relationship-and_1043568.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/peter-orner-12957_books_a-novel-is-like-a-long-relationship-and_1043568.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/peter-orner-12957_books_a-novel-is-like-a-long-relationship-and_1043568.png) > “A novel is like a long relationship and a short story is a brief one that lingers - it lingers powerfully and maybe more powerfully. I think that's true in a lot of cases, most long-term relationships compared to some of the briefer ones - the intensity of those brief ones that end, I think a short story is kind of like that. There's a certain level of intensity that I think is different.” [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long works develop slowly like lasting relationships, while short works create intense, lingering impressions. **In simple terms:** Long works develop slowly; short works are intense. Key Takeaway Appreciate both depth and intensity in reading. Themes literature relationships intensity duration impact Mood reflective contemplative Type analytical observational When to use this quote - Choosing a novel vs. short story - teaching narrative forms - writing workshops - book club discussions Key Concepts Narrative structure emotional resonance comparative analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does length affect emotional impact? - When do you prefer intensity over depth? A Different Perspective Short works may lack the depth of longer narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-relationship/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Relationship Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-short-1513453/) [Short story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-story/) [Story Brief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-brief-2453996/) [Story Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-kind-793774/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Can we convert our long distance relationship into a short distance relationship? 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It's not my interest or instinct to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-just-use-my-life-story-as-a-kind-of-device-on-which-to-hang-comic/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [For my type of story and my kind of writing, I think 'Vanity Fair' is the right forum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/for-my-type-of-story-and-my-kind-of-writing-i-think-vanity-fair-is/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [“...and memory, however sad, is the best and purest link between this world and a better. But come! 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Anywhere else he's ever been he never knows where he is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/the-lake-is-always-east-east-is-always-the-lake-anywhere-else-he-s/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [“For we are like olives: only when we are crushed do we yield what is best in us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/for-we-are-like-olives-only-when-we-are-crushed-do-we-yield-what-is/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [Rarely is the pain of losing someone expressed with such directness, energy, and, yes, humor. 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I love place names. I think I'm tricking myself by being so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/i-usually-have-a-location-and-then-i-put-the-character-there-i-love/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [People have to follow their own strangeness. The minute they start making their own vision of the world flattened out so everyone can read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/people-have-to-follow-their-own-strangeness-the-minute-they-start/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [I revise and revise and revise. I'm not even sure "revise" is the right word. 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You have to build and come from the reader's soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/we-don-t-want-emotion-handed-to-us-that-s-not-emotion-you-have-to/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [I think anything we do - eating, walking down the street, online shopping - gives you another perspective on writing stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/i-think-anything-we-do-eating-walking-down-the-street-online-shopping/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [“Leo wondered what unknown sin they must have committed in some previous life to deserve this. 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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. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A novel is like a long relationship and a short story is a brief one that lingers - it lingers powerfully and maybe more powerfully. I think that's true in a lot of cases, most long-term relationships compared to some of the briefer ones - the intensity of those brief ones that end, I think a short story is kind of like that. 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