An Overlooked Reason?

This little entry at The Guardian notes that between 1999 and 2014, the average best-selling book has gotten 25% longer -- up to 400 pages from 320.

The book people interviewed for the story talk about things like readers preferring "long and immersive narratives," or the reality that a book ordered online intimidates less because its length isn't always noted before the order is placed. Electronic books may also play a role. If you do not have to lug around one of those one and a half-pound monsters but only access it as a weightless electronic file on a feather-light e-reader, you may not care as much.

Left out was one of the more obvious reasons, at least to me: Publishers can charge more money for longer books. Tell someone they've got to part with $35 for the 336-page suspense novel The Girl on the Train and they cast a disbelieving glance upon you. But note that's the suggested price for Stephen King's thousand-page Under the Dome and you can see the buyer think, "Well, that's steep but look at how long the thing is! That's like, less than four cents a page, and it doubles as body armor and battle mace in case of home invasion!"

I don't mind long books, or long book series, if they're long for a reason other than some authors' lack of narrative discipline and publishers' lack of scruples at how much of my money they can get out of my wallet. But it's a very, very rare long read that couldn't have been made better by being a little shorter and a little tighter, and it's an even rarer long read that is made better by lengthening.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a new Stephen King book out and I've got to hit the gym to get ready to buy it.