If you’re in the middle of a reading slump or feeling less than inspired by your reading life, I’d like to encourage you to turn to short novels and novellas. They’re great for short attention spans and whenever you have a limited time to read. Being able to finish something quickly also gives you a quick win, giving you a source of accomplishment and building momentum and satisfaction.
What counts as a short novel? What is considered “short” is subjective. Likewise, there’s no set page count for what qualifies as a novella but typically you’ll see books described that way when they’re 160 pages or less. Novellas are shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. The average page count of a novel is 300ish pages so a short novel is longer than a novella but still shorter than most novels. Some believe the short form actually requires more of authors, not less: they have to tell a full story in a much smaller space. I especially love what I like to call “short novels that pack a big punch”—ones with small page counts but outsized emotional impact for the reader.
Regardless of whether a book is a novella or a short novel, these works are fantastic when it comes to ending a reading slump. Sometimes you just need to finish something—anything!—to get your reading life back on track. That’s not the only reason to gravitate toward the short form but it is a good one. They’ll also build an appreciation for what authors are able to accomplish within these constraints.
Today’s list of short novels and novellas includes an array of genres, from a page-turning classic to contemplative science fiction. I hope one of these will be just what you need to end your reading slump and keep the pages the turning.
14 short novels and novellas that pack a big punch
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Ring Shout
The horror genre isn't my jam but when Beth recommended this in a Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club discussion thread and compared it to Sarah Gailey and Ralph Ellison, it piqued my interest. Described as "dark historical fantasy," this novella takes place in Prohibition Georgia, where Ku Klux Klan members literally become demons after watching The Birth of a Nation. Bootlegger Maryse Boudreaux and a motley crew of fighters set out to save the world from this hellish nightmare come to life. 185 pages. More info →
Eastbound
Maylis de Kerangal has been one of my favorites ever since I stumbled upon Painting Time (still my favorite of her work). This novella follows two fugitives on the Trans-Siberian Railway: twenty-year-old Aliocha is desperate to get out of Russian military service but all of his attempts have failed; Hélène is a French woman who also wants to flee Siberia. Together they’ll attempt to escape despite language barriers and the ever-present danger of being caught. Translated from the French by Jessica Moore. 140 pages. More info →
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
With her knack for combining quirky characters with surprising science fiction plots, Chambers helps us step outside the “real world” to examine modern society with fresh eyes. In the first installment of the Monk and Robot series, a nonbinary tea monk dedicates their life to comforting humans in times of need, until they meet a robot friend with an important question. Endearing and delightful, this novella isn’t just for sci-fi lovers. In fact, Chambers dedicates it to “anybody who could use a break.” This one's made the rounds in our WSIRN team. 160 pages. More info →
Small Things Like These
This Christmastime novella is set in 1985 Ireland (though the details made the story feel older) and is inspired by Ireland's Magdalene laundries, a topic I knew nothing about. Bill Furlong is a hardworking family man who struggles to provide for his large family, something hard enough in this time and place. But then, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, he makes a series of discoveries that threaten to unravel everything he has believed to be true about his life, his faith, and his community. This was a lovely, tender book, and I read it in one sitting. 128 pages. More info →
The Swimmers
This 2022 release made me an instant Julie Otsuka fan: I laughed, I cried, I dove into her backlist. This slim story begins with the collective narrative of the devoted regular swimmers at a community pool. But one day a crack appears in the bottom of the pool and it's soon closed to the swimmers. No longer able to gather for their laps, the swimmers are forced to individually deal with the grave disruption to their routine, and no one is affected more than elderly Alice, whose story takes over the narrative. The surprising pivot from snappy social commentary to a devastating portrait of encroaching dementia is effective and moving. Otsuka is a master of the tiny details throughout, be they witty or heartbreaking. 192 pages. More info →
Recitatif
The only short story Toni Morrison ever wrote. She described it as “an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial.” It's an ingenious little puzzle of a story about two young girls named Twyla and Roberta; one is black and the other white. They meet in a shelter when they are eight years old, wards of the state because one mother "danced all night" and the other mother was sick. They became fast friends during the four months they lived there and their paths intermittently cross during the following decades. Morrison never answers the question she poses, leaving it to the reader to decide which is black and which is white. A book club could wrestle with the story forever. My bound version contains a wonderful introduction by Zadie Smith, but because the essay gives an awful lot away I urge you to read the story first. 83 pages, though the story itself is only 40. More info →
A Spindle Splintered
Zinnia Gray’s 21st birthday is set to be her last due to a rare condition where no one survives past the age of 21. Her best friend Charm gifts her with a full sleeping beauty experience, she wakes up in the realm of Sleeping Beauty. A fun, snarky reimagined fairy tale that makes for one delightful escapist read. If you enjoy this, don't miss the second Fractured Fables book! 119 pages. More info →
One Woman Show: A Novel
Coulson worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 25 years, where one of her last jobs was writing the 75-word wall labels for the museum's new British galleries. She imagined a novel in that form, and this life story of Kitty Whitaker is the result: a sly and stylish novel told solely through museum wall labels about a 20th-century woman who transforms herself over the course of her lifetime. This could easily be read in one sitting, and is an excellent pick for structure nerds or art and design fans. 208 pages, though ample white space means the page count is significantly lower than a typical book of this length. More info →
Loved and Missed
This slim British novel packs a big punch and is sure to be on my best-of-the-year list. In this first-person family drama, we meet a grandmother who raises her granddaughter from infancy because her daughter, who's been struggling with addiction for nearly a decade, is unable to do so. The story is brutal and tender, gorgeously written, and surprisingly funny for a book that required multiple tissues. I appreciated that the prose, while never plodding or needlessly complex, did invite a close reading: I am inclined to be a fast reader, but I consciously slowed down so I didn't miss anything. While the story is set roughly in the present day—just before the dawn of the iPhone—it has an old-fashioned feel to it; if I didn't know better I might have guessed it was a Persephone title. Heads up for multiple content warnings, some of which are evident from the plot description but some took me by surprise. 208 pages. More info →
The Hero of This Book
In this novel written as a memoir, Elizabeth McCracken, the author or the character that we feel like is Elizabeth McCracken, shares about her larger-than-life mother, the hero of this book. It’s summer 2019, one year after her mother died, and McCracken has traveled to London where she and her mother traveled to before. She alternates between different stories of her mother’s life, including her experience of disability, and what it’s like without her there. She makes you wish you’d had the chance to know her mother, even as she’s exploring her own grief. 192 pages. More info →
Picnic at Hanging Rock
In this short Australian classic, a group of girls from the Appleyard College for Young Ladies venture out for a picnic at Hanging Rock on a beautiful afternoon. Three of the girls set out for a hike, and are never seen again. As I was reading this short novel, it strongly reminded me of something I'd read before, but I couldn't figure out WHAT. I finally realized it wasn't a book at all—it was the TV show Lost! (If that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is.) 189 pages. More info →
Elena Knows
Piñeiro is a bestselling Argentinian crime author but the crime element only scratches the surface of what she accomplishes in this tale. After her daughter Rita is found dead, the police write it off as a suicide but Elena is sure there’s more to it. After all, Elena has advanced Parkinson’s and Rita was her caregiver. Her investigation is hampered by the short blocks of time her medication affords her to be more mobile, offering insights into the ableism, ageism, and classism wielded by society. Buckle up, because that ending is a doozy. Translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle. 143 pages. More info →
Passing
Written in 1929, set during the Jazz Age in Harlem, this is the story of two childhood friends who reconnect after choosing very different paths. Both women are Black and light-skinned. Clare has chosen to pass for white, and is even married to a white man who knows nothing of her heritage or history. Irene is married to a successful African-American physician. As the women spend more time together, Irene's life starts looking better and better to Clare ... and what unfolds is a battle of wits in a story akin to a psychological thriller. The story feels so fresh and unexpected, I couldn't believe it was written nearly a hundred years ago. What a page-turner! 141 pages. More info →
The English Understand Wool
17-year-old Marguerite lives a lavish lifestyle in Marrakech, raised by a French mother and English father who instill in her the importance of having “good taste.” But how far does that lesson go when she learns her whole life has been a lie? You can easily read this inventive, head-spinning novel in one sitting, but if you're anything like me you'll be thinking of it long after you turn the last page. A heist story, coming of age thriller, and satirical critique of the publishing industry and media culture, all rolled into one explosive little package. 69 pages. More info →
Do you have a favorite short novel or novella? Please tell us in comments!
P.S. Give your reading life a quick boost with these 21 short and satisfying novels and 20 short novels you can read in one day.
41 comments
TINMAN BY SARAH WINMAN. The most impactful short book I have ever read. I didn’t know writing could take me to that place.
I second this one! “Tin Man” is the first book I think of whenever talk turns to short but powerful novels.
I would include “Mouth to Mouth” by Antoine Wilson. At 179 pages, it handles a tough theme beautifully (what is the value of a life?).
Agree!
Great list! I’m getting right on it!
FOSTER, by Claire Keegan. If you have seen “The Quiet Girl”, this is that movie in book form.
I came here to recommend this book.
Agreed short but powerful!
I recommend Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressman Taylor, which is about the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany. Short but powerful.
This book was awesome.
This is a stunner of a little book.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Listened to the audio book—maybe heard about it here? Compelling read about juvenile gun violence and takes place over a 60 second elevator ride. Still thinking about it weeks later.
A brilliant book! Great recommendation for high school students as well.
If anyone is a romance reader, Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is really cute.
What a great list! I’ve been seeing the same-old, same-old in other lists! I have written down fully SEVEN of these titles, although I agree with another commenter that FOSTER should be on the list, I liked it way better than Small Things Like These. And I am SO HAPPY to see The Hero of This Book, I loved that book so much (Favorite book of 2023 for me). It resonated. Also, I want to mention to Amor Towles’ fans, that you can read a really short story of his (like 17 pages) at granta.com, called The Line. Amazon doesn’t have it. I googled “The Line by Amor Towles” and the granta.com option was one that came up. It’s all there. I loved it.
Looking forward to reading the Amor Towles story! Thanks for mentioning it.
I loved “Before The Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Unselected Journals of
Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
There are 7 books in this series. So good!
I just finished What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated from Japanese. Several people, dealing with problems or decisions, end up in a community library where the librarian recommends a book seemingly unrelated to their requests. They realize insights that help them find fulfillment.
I would like to second the choice of Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro. Her ongoing descriptions of a woman living with Parkinson’s Disease were so amazing…very visceral. I was there with Elena trying to navigate my life but having oh so much trouble, simply lifting up my head.
Please do not miss this book!
One of the best books I read last year. Just goes to show how a truly good writer can say so much in so few words.
I am sure I’ve raved every it every time this topic comes up… but ‘Assembly’ by Natasha Brown is brilliant.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton.
I read The Swimmers recently for book club. It was sheer torture, but made for a good discussion among our older women group.
Claire Keegan is excellent.
My regular book group is reading 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. It is a charming, short little book about a friendship between an American writer and a British bookseller. The two never meet in person, but the friendship that blossoms is wonderful. The correspondence takes place during the years from the late 1940’s and the late 1960’s, so all snail mail. I laughed out loud reading some of the letters. 98 pages – a real treat of a book about friendship and connection.
I adore this book!
Ethan Frome is one of my favorites! I forgot it’s so short. And Claire Keegan is indeed excellent, although I liked Foster better (and the lovely movie based on it, The Quiet Girl). And isn’t it funny how differently we see books? The Swimmers seriously impacted both my sister and I because our mother is 85 and might be in this situation of dementia and nursing homes…I saw so much that was true and poignant and sad! And my sister is a swimmer, so that part was up her alley (or her swimming lane!), as well.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. A gem of a book, only 120 pages.
Check!!
That list included my first Claire Keegan read. I will be adding several of these titles to my want to read list. I will add, Love and Saffron by Kim Fay. I jotted several notes in the margins while reading and then gifted to a good childhood friend. Aniother title I’ve recommended is, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz. I listened to the story which, for me enhanced my experience. Touching story of motherhood and life as an immigrant.
I would recommend ‘Gigi’ by Collette. You will know the story if you have seen the film, but it’s a brilliantly written novella, and gives a wonderful first hand view of late 19th century Paris.
Oh, what a good idea!
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman is wonderful–and short, 154 pages. It’s nonfiction but so worth reading.
Excellent choice!
A short treasure: Desperate Characters by Paula Fox
A couple of favorites:
1. The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy.
2. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
3. Reunion by Fred Uhlman.
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell.
That Artsy Reader Girl has a very similar topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, which will provide many more titles if you check out all the participants’ lists. Sorry I don’t know how to link to the website. I also enjoyed A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Spindle Splintered. TNT
SILK by Alessandro Baricco is only 112 pages but tells a beautiful story about language and love and passion.
The Christmas Guest: by Peter Swanson is a great read. It is designed to be read in one sitting. Next December grab an eggnog and a seat by the fire in a quiet place, and prepare to look up a few hours later and say, “Wow.”
The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi. Haunting with gorgeous prose. His second in this series comes out this March and I cannot wait!
Fantastic list.
I must also recommend The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente. I read it some years ago, and as our climate crisis seems to keep escalating (to have 50+ degree temperatures in February in MN is beyond bizarre) I think often about this book.
Novella:
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
-Shepherd plants and nurtures trees every day for 30 years
Short novels:
Santiago: Chronicles of a Young Traveler by Eduardo Rios Lasso
-20 something man with social anxiety lives his dream of traveling the world
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz
-YA graphic novel with cheese puns