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[Truean]

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

Yes; true. It's actually incredibly hard to get the insanity defense; when you do, people assume you're faking. Tutored a friend in writing her report about how we killed Lenny via neglect for his ... "specialness."

The joke was, of course,
"O my God, you killed Lenny."
"You bastard!"

[Twi]

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

It really didn't seem like he would have gotten to prison in the first place, but no, he wouldn't have.

Like I said, this novel is sad.

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

Yes; true. It's actually incredibly hard to get the insanity defense; when you do, people assume you're faking. Tutored a friend in writing her report about how we killed Lenny via neglect for his ... "specialness."

The joke was, of course,
"O my God, you killed Lenny."
"You bastard!"

[The Merchant Of Menace]

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

It really didn't seem like he would have gotten to prison in the first place, but no, he wouldn't have.

Actually, yeah. He would have been lynched by the angry crowd.

[Vorthon]

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

It really didn't seem like he would have gotten to prison in the first place, but no, he wouldn't have.

Like I said, this novel is sad.

And short. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I like novels to be at least a good 300 pages long.

[Dutchling]

Per book.

[Frumple]

And short. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I like novels to be at least a good 300 pages long.

You like it with a little more, mm... length to it, eh? Makes you feel a bit more satisfied and fulfilled at the end, keeps your attention for longer...

I hear you, brother. All the skill in the world doesn't help if it lasts ten minutes. Cute distraction, but no real meat.

[RedKing]

Lenny never would have survived in prison, George was just protecting him.

It really didn't seem like he would have gotten to prison in the first place, but no, he wouldn't have.

Like I said, this novel is sad.

And short. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I like novels to be at least a good 300 pages long.

The Catcher in the Rye: 224 pages
Slaughterhouse-Five: 215 pages
Animal Farm: 140 pages
The Old Man and the Sea: 128 pages

I think writers just used to be better at being concise. If you need 7 books and 2000 pages to tell your story, it's probably not because it's an epic story on par with War and Peace or The Lord of the Rings, but rather because you suck as a writer.

And short. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I like novels to be at least a good 300 pages long.

You like it with a little more, mm... length to it, eh? Makes you feel a bit more satisfied and fulfilled at the end, keeps your attention for longer...

I hear you, brother. All the skill in the world doesn't help if it lasts ten minutes. Cute distraction, but no real meat.

....we're not talking about books anymore, are we?

[Frumple]

....we're not talking about books anymore, are we?

Books can be sexy, too.

[Truean]

I think writers just used to be better at being concise.

Yes. Usually. Also readers today don't get subtext and want it spelled out, or think it's all dirty. Rather than reading more; read more into it. Say more in a paragraph than a whole page. Especially related to other paragraphs and parts of the story. Quality over quantity?

[Flying Dice]

On a somewhat related note: my International Affairs professor set a maximum length of 1 page for our policy stance papers, with minimum 1-inch margins and 12 point text, to force us to condense and express our arguments properly instead of spreading them over a dozen pages of bullshit. Entire class full of 3rd and 4th year students whines about that not being enough space. I think I love this man.

[RedKing]

Good man. I had profs that did the same thing. Actually, what they did was for every academic paper we did, we had to have a 2-5 page "Summary Abstract" (a report to summarize your report), and a 1-page Executive Summary (a report to summarize the summary of your report, written for people who aren't academics). It's painful, but I had one professor who said, "Imagine I'm the President. I have all of two minutes to devote to what you're telling me. You need to explain to me in the first paragraph why I should give a single fuck what you have to say." 

[Bauglir]

I know it would take up valuable space, but I'd have to open at least one paper with a request for Secret Service protection.

[Pnx]

Actually I'm wondering if they didn't just double space those books. Also, if you think writers used to be concise in the olden days, tell that to Herman Melville. Moby Dick is not a concise book.

[RedKing]

It varies from writer to writer. Example: James Fenimore Cooper. I hate him so much....

One chapter: three pages of dialogue. Next chapter: Twenty-five pages of description of the setting. Next chapter: Four pages of dialgoue and one page of action. Next-chapter: Fifteen pages of description of a new character. Repeat until reader is left wanting to turn "Last of the Mohicans" into "No More Mohicans".

[nenjin]

I prided myself on reading old skool texts like Dumas' the Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo ect.... at any early age. And I couldn't even put a dent in Last of the Mohicans. It's so freaking densely written and structured so strangely, you have to enjoy self-mutilation on some level to finish it.