The novelist Cynan Jones once wrote that in brief fiction, “every word is doing a job. So pay attention. A short novel is an event, not a trip.” The Swedish Academy recognized that this week when they ...

Ms. Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. When the news is one report of human suffering — or environmental degradation or ...

Welsh author Cynan Jones specializes in short novels that pack a visceral punch, including Everything I Found on the Beach and The Dig. Jones talks about the appeal of the very short novel. I've never ...

Need a wonderful short-story collection? A diverting mystery? A thoughtful novel? A doorstoppy biography? Look no further — and all in fresh new paperbacks, too. “Afterlife” by Julia Alvarez ...

Only one of the 13 titles nominated for the prestigious award for fiction translated into English is more than 300 pages long. But it is the one favored by critics. By Alex Marshall Reporting from ...

Discover English fiction that feels effortless to read yet quietly strengthens vocabulary, proving that simple prose can be ...