What is the difference between a novel and a short story?

A short story is a few pages usually less than 25 pages and is straight to the point. It is one single story, no side stories. A novel may have some side stories and it can be as long as it wants to be.

of course a short story is short though there are some short stories that are long but not as long as a novel. a novel is very long that it is divided by chapters. so within those chapters, there are stories.

As you have fairly described a novel is a long story. The description of the scene, characters, incidents and so on have to be more vivid. The narrative usually is gripping so that the reader immerses himself/herself into the story and becomes like role player. That is the reason when finishing reading of a novel one gets that kind of satisfaction as you said. In a short story the theme generally is about an incident, attribute or some moralistic preaching or the like. There is no need to elaborately describe the characters or the situations. All the same the narrative should be fairly gripping and the end clearly explained. Well, these days I do not read much, with the TV taking the time. Audiovisual entertainment contributes to the laziness. All the same I think I vote for a good novel, both from the enthralling aspect and literary aspect.

i like both..but i do look at the storyline first..there was one novel called 'versus' which is really exciting and i couldn't stop reading it..it was really awesome and the author used words that is simple and suits us teenager..short story does tempt me if it's a horror story, love story or even adventures..i do love short story with interesting characters, plots, climax and the storyline....but maybe because i enjoy reading..all types of reading material is okay with me as long as it suits me and it is enjoyable to read..

the possible and clear difference between them is the number of pages of course!!i love to read both- short stories or novels.the number of pages is not a matter at all as long as i enjoy reading it is the greatest satisfaction that im looking for.:)

A novel is a long story. A short story is a short story. :)

It is length. A short story can have as many characters and as powerful a message but it is shorter.

I love both. When I have no time but I like to read, i read short stories. When I have more time and I want to fall in love, I want to read novels. As a reader, it doesn't matter how the novel was long or short as long as the story is in it. I love novels because it completes my imagination and the story gives a full detail of the characters. REcently I am not reading a book since i have so many important things to do.

personally, i prefer novels for the reasons that you mentioned. it leaves me satisfied. the characters are built and makes me feel closer with them, as well as things happening around them. of course, i wouldn't say short stories are bad but you nailed it perfectly for me. there is a sense of dissatisfaction for me at times. i might not be able to completely get into the story sometimes although i can be quite picky. hehe but yea, novels tend to have more descriptions on the feelings and places and more. not only that, the events seem to unfold as if we're watching a movie. it's great.

The most obvious difference is in length. A short story is simply short. It's not meant to be a well-developed or substantial piece of narrative. Personally, I find short stories very difficult to write and unsatisfying to read. Short stories are just a snapshot, and it's very frustrating for me to try and compound everything into something short. I like longer works.

The main difference between a short story and a novel is that there isn't nearly as much character development in a short story. They are written in one large block typically whereas with a novel, there are multiple chapters and the characters are described fully to the extent that you are really able to feel like you know the characters and you can put yourself in their situations. I like to read both types of writing from time to time.

Our teacher in high school always told us that a short story is one that you can read in one seating/sitting. Hmmm---I think that holds. I can easily finish a short story in one sitting, but novels will have to wait for weeks and even months. LOL.

I am dyslexic with the inability to visualize based on the written word. When I read novels, if they wax too descriptive, i.e. the color of the bushes, the way the vines twine up the wall, etc, I tend to skip through entire paragraphs and pages and cut to the action. I have to really force myself to read a book. A short story, on the other hand, is mostly action so it holds my interest. As a writer, I find myself in the same boat. I prefer to write poetry and short stories and have real difficulty writing a book. I have started one and got four chapters written on hard copy. Then I wrote three more chapters on my computer, no hard copy, and my computer fried so I lost them. I have been unable to rewrite them ever since. I started this book in 1983 so you KNOW I have trouble staying on it. I may just change it to a novella, which as I understand is a short version of a novel. Am I right??? My favorite work that I have done was a short story I titled "Mannequin in the Window". I have published that one on Associated Content if you'd like to check it out. I love beautiful language so Shakespeare and the older classics are fun for me, but only in small doses. I tend to use the classic styles when I write...resurrecting old words that don't get used much anymore.

Wellthe differene between a novel and a short story is quit simple. A novel is a mor comprehensive piece of work that covers a broad story line over diffrent periods. It consist of many chapters and also many vivid characters. Its like a hook that keeps you reading without none stop. While i think that a story is a more condensed form of a novel. A story hits the nail on the head to say. It is much shorter and sometimes more discriptive due its short nature. It satisfies you in so many ways leaving you wishing it could continue. Sometimes has stated by you many people don't really get the idea out of a short story because the writers try just to get straight to the point sometmes in less than 300 words

A short story doesn't have to even been bound together as a book. It can be printed on a website, in a newspaper, or magazine. A novel is a book, simple and without much explanation. To say "I read a novel" would mean: you read a book. To say "I read a short story" would simply mean you read a story that is composed of around 4 or 5 paragraphs at more. It never implies that you read a book, it could be, but by saying a short story; no one would think it's a novel, right off the bat.

I love reading a novel but I also read short stories occasionally.However, I would not say that I have a sense of dissatisfaction after reading a short story.A well written short story would not have the time to dwell on details about characterisation and much is left to the reader's imagination.We have to look for signals and build on this to write a character sketch or an analysis. On the other hand the novel gives greater scope for the characters to present themselves and we are able to view different facets of the same personality because there are such instances elucidating tiny characteristics. Secondly there is scope for more than one plot to develop in a novel ; on the other hand a short story is better constructed if it focuses on a particular incident.Within the narrow range the good story writer does his best.If there are multiple plots the short story becomes disorganized and wayward. THirdly, if you take the theme, the theme would be of greater significance in a novel.We do have messages and morals in the short story also and simple short stories can convey this in the briefest manner possible.THe same is done with greater exemplification in a novel. In a novel, there is also scope for detailed discussion on various aspects of people or incidents. THe short story by definiton of its brevity would have to adopt a different type of plot,theme and rendering. Personally I feel that it is the skill of the writer that gives a rounded shape to characters and conveys a strong message within the narrow limits of a shortstory. I wrote a short story analysis on 'The yellow wall paper' which got a good number of page views in AC.THere was scope in this particular story. Basically , both are literary forms. THe novel is greater because of the vast scope offered.Recently I read a historical novel in my regional language.It consists of two volumes. It was marvellous and my remark was that it was in 'epic proportions'.THe descriptions were poetic.Now epic is another form. We cannot compare the incomparables. My favourite however is the novel.

I like both. But as for the difference, one thing I can't forget since high school is what my literary teacher said. According to her, if it's a short story, the main character is never absent in every scene. On the other hand, a novel may focus on different characters at a time.

get, the short story and the novel are two literary genres under fiction. The obvious difference between the two is that one is short and the other one is long. Technically though, the short story is defined as something that could be read in a single sitting, whereas the novel is something that you read, put down after some time, and then come back to read again.

I think you already highlighted the difference between the 2. Novel are long and winding, employs a mixture of different plots, forming 1 general plot. It also follows different characters, different views or different scenarios. Short stories on the other hand usually use the typical plots like man in a hole, man in a tub and man on a road. Short stories can also be read in one sitting.

I don't think that I could say I like one ot the other because I like some short stories more than some novels and some novels more than some short stories!! However overall I would probably choose novels as these are what I do tend to read more of, I like to be able to have a little more depth in the characters and to have the possibility for deeper stories with plenty of twists in, having said that some short stories manage to do these things in a lot fewer pages.