The Novel

When I read a novel, I tend to mark up and focus on the same parts that I do when reading a short story, but just in a bit more detail and with a greater focus on the mindset that there is an even larger story behind the small stories going on in the novel.

What I pay attention to most, more than I might in a short story, is the relationships between characters. Because in a novel there is more time to develop complex, dynamic characters, more complicated relationships develop. Especially in The Purple Hibiscus, I’ve noticed that the tension and connections between characters plays a vital role in the novel’s plot—In fact, the novel is based entirely on the tension between characters: Jaja and Kambili, Kambili and her father, Kambili’s father and his sister, etc. Without the connections and conflict, there would be no story.

Also, while the short story’s shortness forces me to feel the need to read it all at once and to almost race to uncover the ending, the novels length makes me stop and notice smaller, seemingly insignificant details with the ending in mind. Because I don’t focus so much on reaching the end, I tend to spend more time noting minor images and details that simply seem interesting, as I know that as I read through the rest of the novel, similar details may come up again, leading to a greater understanding of the novel.