theparisreview: “It has been said often that a big book is more important and has more authority than a short book. There are exceptions of course but it is very nearly always true. I have tried to find a reasonable explanation for this and at last have come up with my theory, to wit: The human mind, particularly in the present, is troubled and fogged and bee-stung with a thousand little details from taxes to war worry to the price of meat. All these usually get together and result in a man’s fighting with his wife because that is the easiest channel of relief for inner unrest. Now—we must think of a book as a wedge driven into a man’s personal life. A short book would be in and out quickly. And it is possible for such a wedge to open the mind and do its work before it is withdrawn leaving quivering nerves and cut tissue. A long book, on the other hand, drives in very slowly and if only in point of time remains for a while. Instead of cutting and leaving, it allows the mind to rearrange itself to fit around the wedge. Let’s carry the analogy a little farther. When the quick wedge is withdrawn, the tendency of the mind is quickly to heal itself exactly as it was before the attack. With the long book perhaps the healing has been warped around the shape of the wedge so that when the wedge is finally withdrawn and the book set down, the mind cannot ever be quite what it was before. This is my theory and it may explain the greater importance of a long book. Living with it longer has given it greater force. If this is true a long book, even not so good, is more effective than an excellent short story.” —John Steinbeck, The Art of Fiction No. 45

theparisreview:

“It has been said often that a big book is more important and has more authority than a short book. There are exceptions of course but it is very nearly always true. I have tried to find a reasonable explanation for this and at last have come up with my theory, to wit: The human mind, particularly in the present, is troubled and fogged and bee-stung with a thousand little details from taxes to war worry to the price of meat. All these usually get together and result in a man’s fighting with his wife because that is the easiest channel of relief for inner unrest. Now—we must think of a book as a wedge driven into a man’s personal life. A short book would be in and out quickly. And it is possible for such a wedge to open the mind and do its work before it is withdrawn leaving quivering nerves and cut tissue. A long book, on the other hand, drives in very slowly and if only in point of time remains for a while. Instead of cutting and leaving, it allows the mind to rearrange itself to fit around the wedge. Let’s carry the analogy a little farther. When the quick wedge is withdrawn, the tendency of the mind is quickly to heal itself exactly as it was before the attack. With the long book perhaps the healing has been warped around the shape of the wedge so that when the wedge is finally withdrawn and the book set down, the mind cannot ever be quite what it was before. This is my theory and it may explain the greater importance of a long book. Living with it longer has given it greater force. If this is true a long book, even not so good, is more effective than an excellent short story.”

—John Steinbeck, The Art of Fiction No. 45

119 notesShowHide

  1. iamadamstanley reblogged this from hellyesjohnsteinbeck
  2. thereigninglane reblogged this from hellyesjohnsteinbeck and added:
    #Ijustwanttobethiscool
  3. smuwritingcentre reblogged this from theparisreview
  4. lacartaajena reblogged this from theparisreview and added:
    I prefer long books, too.
  5. 611926 reblogged this from californiacascade
  6. suttr reblogged this from theparisreview
  7. justlookatyou reblogged this from theparisreview
  8. tapewormshoelace reblogged this from theparisreview
  9. litterature reblogged this from theparisreview
  10. theredshoes reblogged this from theparisreview
  11. squeegieowl reblogged this from theinnkeeperlibrarian
  12. indiantom reblogged this from j-twatkins
  13. guspatino reblogged this from theparisreview
  14. butnotsoclever reblogged this from theparisreview
  15. butnora reblogged this from theparisreview and added:
    last sentence, but god, how can you
  16. californiacascade reblogged this from theparisreview
  17. giveintoforever reblogged this from riderdoolittle
  18. politicsoftime reblogged this from theparisreview
  19. howtoputapictureintowords reblogged this from hellyesjohnsteinbeck
  20. toropiski reblogged this from theparisreview
  21. thesoulisnotasmithy reblogged this from theparisreview