I recently posted about my love of shorter reads. "If it's the size of War and Peace," I had declared, "it had better be worthy of Tolstoy!"

While many of you agreed with me, just as many didn't, and I was delighted by your fervour! Here are just some of the responses that came in…

The Argument For

Many of you have a similar distrust of long, unwieldy stories as me, and agreed with my premise that with a big book comes a big responsibility to be good, and that alone is almost too much for any book to bear.

One respondent, Susan, said there were few authors she was willing to invest more than eight hours in (she named Lisa Jewell as an exception), while Dands said an early diet of authors like Agatha Christie led to a predilection for shorter reads. "If I need to dedicate too much time to try and keep all the facts in my mind and in order, it takes the fun out of reading."

Dennis told me he prefers quick reads, "Then I can read more books!" and, well, who can argue with that? And I got a wry smile out of Dawn's comment on disliking books that "dribble on about what clothes someone is wearing or what was served at a dinner or a party, because I don't care, especially if it had nothing to do with what the book is actually about." Nicely put.

And then there were those who completely and utterly disagreed…

The Argument Against

Many of you put me quickly in my place and insisted that the longer the book, the better! Michael added, "I like to enjoy the journey and get to know the character through their actions and what they say. With shorter stories, you don't get to know the main character as well."

And Robert aptly pointed out that a short story can be a let-down too, especially if "it ends too soon". Hmm… I hadn't thought of that.

Just Make It Worthy, Please!

The vast majority of you, however, said size is irrelevant, and some added that they'd always try a longer book if the reviews assured them it was worth the effort. Others said it depends on the genre/style. "I like to read long books if it is a stand-alone and short books if it is a series," explained Linda.

While Julie insisted it's all about the mood you're in. "Short books when things are hectic, and I don't have much time. Long books when I can sit down and get lost in the story."

And then there were the pragmatists who pointed out that no matter what the size of the book you can always stop reading if it feels like a flop, or, even better, come back to it later when you have the time/energy/inclination. Perhaps there are some lessons in there for me.

No matter what your views, though, most of you said good content is the key. Or as Loretta says, "I don't care if books are long or short reads as long as they're great reads. I just love getting sucked into a great book." And on that I'm sure we can all agree.

Thanks for writing in with your views, people, I always love hearing from you. And happy reading, no matter what size the book.

xo Christina

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