--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The novel is a prose narrative of some…" description: "\"The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it.\" — Randall Jarrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png" --- # The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has… ![“The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it.” quote by Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png) > “The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it.” [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that a novel should be a coherent story, but many fail to achieve that, making them flawed in some way. **In simple terms:** Novels often lack coherence. Key Takeaway Seek clarity in storytelling. Themes literature criticism coherence Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing workshops - editing - literary analysis - teaching writing Key Concepts narrative structure authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - What makes a narrative feel "wrong"? - How do experimental forms challenge traditional expectations? A Different Perspective Not all prose narratives aim to be perfect; some intentionally subvert expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Length](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/length/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Narrative Length](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-length-5834695/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-prose-5834694/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Prose Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose-narrative-682838/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If you have a good story idea, don't assume it must form a prose narrative. It may work better as a play, a screenplay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/if-you-have-a-good-story-idea-don-t-assume-it-must-form-a-prose/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [A short story is "a short prose narrative, requiring from a half hour, to one or two hours in its perusal...having conceived, with deliberate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-short-story-is-a-short-prose-narrative-requiring-from-a-half-hour/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [We allude to the short prose narrative, requiring from a half hour to one or two hours in its perusal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/we-allude-to-the-short-prose-narrative-requiring-from-a-half-hour-to/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [The short story feels like the most natural length for prose fiction, or certainly for the kind of ideas and situations I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-royle/the-short-story-feels-like-the-most-natural-length-for-prose-fiction/) [Nicholas Royle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-royle/) > [Writing for publication is an art, a craft, and a business, so you need to develop skill sets in multiple areas. You need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-hodge/writing-for-publication-is-an-art-a-craft-and-a-business-so-you-need/) [Brian Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-hodge/) > [ . . . you \[film critics\] always overstress the value of images. You judge films in the first place by their visual impact instead… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/you-film-critics-always-overstress-the-value-of-images-you-judge/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [The anger I felt when the ACLU tried to disenfranchise me because my religious stayed with me. 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And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [The length of the journey has to be borne with, for every moment is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-length-of-the-journey-has-to-be-borne-with-for-every-moment-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. 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Who fights for his own life Loses, loses: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-tags-chain-stirs-with-the-wind-and-i-sleep-paid-dead-and-a/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [First one gets works of art, then criticism of them, then criticism of the criticism, and, finally, a book on The Literary Situation ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/first-one-gets-works-of-art-then-criticism-of-them-then-criticism-of/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [ Early in his life Mr. \[Ezra\] Pound met with strong, continued, and unintelligent opposition. If people keep opposing you when you are right, you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/early-in-his-life-mr-ezra-pound-met-with-strong-continued-and/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Some of Mr. Gregory's poems have merely appeared in The New Yorker ; others are New Yorker poems: the inclusive topicality, the informed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/some-of-mr-gregory-s-poems-have-merely-appeared-in-the-new-yorker/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [A successful poem says what a poet wants to say, and more, with particular finality. The remarks he makes about his poems are incidental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/a-successful-poem-says-what-a-poet-wants-to-say-and-more-with/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [One Whitman is miracle enough, and when he comes again it will be the end of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/one-whitman-is-miracle-enough-and-when-he-comes-again-it-will-be-the/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Robert Frost says in a piece of homely doggerel that he has hoped wisdom could be not only Attic but Laconic, Boeotian even -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/robert-frost-says-in-a-piece-of-homely-doggerel-that-he-has-hoped/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Most people don't listen to classical music at all, but to rock-and-roll or hillbilly songs or some album named Music To Listen To Music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/most-people-don-t-listen-to-classical-music-at-all-but-to-rock-and/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) [Explore all 121 Randall Jarrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) ## 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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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": "The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Randall Jarrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-length-that-has-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-length-that-has-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/randall-jarrell-3811_books_the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-l_749531.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it.” — Randall Jarrell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Randall Jarrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The novel is a prose narrative...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-length-that-has-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-novel-is-a-prose-narrative-of-some-length-that-has-something/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```