“A short story is broadly defined as anywhere between one thousand and twenty thousand words. One expectation of a short story is that it my be read in one sitting. The modern short story developed in the mid-nineteenth century, in part of the growing popularity of magazines.” (Mays, 31-32)

Some of the most famous short story authors are Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, Ronald Dahl, Mark Twain and Dr. Suess. Hemingway grew up seeing war and participating in masculine actives, which heavily influenced his life and work. Ernest Hemingway called his writing style the iceberg theory. This theory can be is described as, “He makes use of physical action to provide a symbolical interpretation of the nature of man's existence.” (The London school of journalism) Edgar Allen Poe is most known for writing mysteries and suspense stories. Ronald Dahl wrote stories with unexpected endings and children’s books with a dark comic mood and had villainous adult enemies of the children, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Possibly one of the most famous writers ever, Mark Twain is known for his works, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin. Dr. Seuss is also one of the most famous authors ever. He wrote more than 60 children’s books which have sold over 600 million copies worldwide.

My experience with short stories has largely been curricular. I have not had much interest in reading them outside of school. But mostly I have enjoyed the short stories we have read. I specifically remember reading some suspense story for Edgar Allen Poe, I think it was The Raven.

“I love short stories because I believe they are the way we live. They are what our friends tell us, in their pain and joy, their passion and rage, their yearning and their cry against injustice.” – Andre Dubus

Sources

“Dr. Seuss.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss.

“The London School of Journalism.” London School of Journalism | Introducing Ernest Hemingway, www.lsj.org/web/literature/hemingway.php.

“A novel is a work of prose fiction of about forty thousand words or more. The form arose in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries as prose romances and adventure takes began to adopt techniques of history and travel narrative as well as memoir, letters and biography.” (Mays, 32)

I have always loved and avidly read the novels of Jack London, Jules Verne and Ernest Hemingway. The characters depicted in their books, who are brave and resourceful people embarking on exciting adventures, definitely shaped my inner self and nourished my love for the outdoors. - Vladimir Putin

Sub-genres of novels

There are many examples of sub-genres for novels. First you can split them up between fiction and non-fiction. Fiction includes genres like science fiction, mystery and adventure. Non-fiction genres include biographies, autobiographies and journals.

Famous Authors

Some famous novelists include Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, George Orwell and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Charles Dickens wrote some of the best know works of literature including A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist. Leo Tolstoy, a Russian novelist, wrote realist fiction. His most famous novel is War and Peace. George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a story about a dystonian society, is very popular in school curriculum. Born in Minnesota F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote many novels, but his most famous work was The Great Gatsby.

My Experience

I honestly have not had that much experience with literature. I have never really loved reading books. I read Harry Potter when I was younger to see the movies but that is about it. I didn’t like the books I was supposed to read in school and never did read them, I just read the SparkNotes. But recently on vacation I read my first book in a while, The Martian by Andy Weir. I bought the book back when the movie came out and never read it, but I was worried I would be bored on vacation and decided to bring it. And I was very happy I did. I loved it. I read it in about 4 or 5 days and did not want to put it down. I think the reason I found it so engrossing was because of all the science in it. It has peaked my interest for other books of similar nature.

Sources

Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to
Literature. New York: W.W.
Norton and Co., 2017.

“Vladimir Putin Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/vladimir_putin_601172.

 
Quote

Here is a quote by Marjane Satrapi about graphic novels: “Graphic novels are not traditional literature, but that does not mean they are second-rate. Images are a way of writing. When you have the talent to be able to write and to draw, it seems a shame to choose one. I think it's better to do both.”

Sources

“Graphic Novel.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graphic%20novel.

“Marjane Satrapi Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/marjane_satrapi_557373?src=t_graphic_novels.