Many people who have a habit of reading feel confident because a reader is good at reading and can also be an excellent public speaker. Because he has the knowledge on which he can talk and argue with anyone. Books and novels are two of the reading resources. People read books to gain knowledge and learn something new. On the other hand, novels absorb the people into its story and help in reducing stress. As a book is a source of authentic information, a novel is a source of entertainment.
Let’s take a closer look at Book vs. Novel
| Scope | Books have broad scope as compared to Novels |
| Writer | The writer of the novel is called a novelist, while the book writer is known as an author |
| Limitation | Books don’t have any limitation of words, while novels have a limit of 50,000 words. |
Table of Contents
What is a Book?
A book can be defined as any printed or written work of literature which is on a specific subject. Books are written to increase the knowledge of people on a specific subject. These could be fiction, nonfiction, and both in a comparison of fiction Vs. Nonfiction books the nonfiction book can provide more information. Those who write books are known as authors or writers. Authors present information in the form of text, charts, graphs, and images to improve the learning ability of the reader.
What is a Novel?
A novel can be defined as a fictional work written by a novelist to entertain the reader with a poetic mechanism. The novel’s purpose is to describe the story in any way the novelist seems to be perfect. Novels are not based upon any particular subject, but are just fictional stories from the beginning to the end. There are different genres of novels like science fiction, romance, fantasy, drama, and crime.
Book vs. Novel Similarities
- Both have the same medium of delivery. Both are printed or written on paper material.
- Books and novels have similar content to some extent. Both are segmented into chapters and parts to make it easier for their readers.
- The main purpose of reading any material is to get information. Books provide educational knowledge, while novels can also provide social awareness.
Seven key differences between Books and novels
| Components | Book | Novel |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | A book is a written or printed work that provides information on a specific subject. | A novel is a fictional narrative that is written like the pros in poetic manners. |
| Purpose | The main purpose is a book to introduce, educate and explain the subject to its reader. | The novel’s purpose is to entertain the readers through its stories and characters. |
| Word count | There is no specific word count for the book | A novel can not be less than 40,000 words |
| Components | A book contains explanations, facts, poetry, questions and answers, and stories. | A novel consists of a story, plot, character, setting, and theme |
| Scope | Book has wide scope as it is also used for reading and academic purpose | The novel has a narrow scope as compared to books |
| Types | A book can be both fiction and nonfiction | A novel can only be fiction |
| Genre | Textbooks, biography, poetry, essay. Fiction, reference books, etc | Romance, science fiction, horror, mystery, etc. |
Book vs. Novel pros and cons
Pros and cons of books
Pros of Book
- You can hold your book in your hand and read it whenever and wherever you want
- The book is better than the movie because you don’t have to strain your eyes on the screen while reading
- Reading book is good for intellectual power and improves vocabulary
- Reading books can increase self-confidence and improve speaking as well
Cons of Books
- Books are defenseless against elements like fire, water, and wind, which can mess up the book and disturb the reading
- You cannot change the size of a book’s font according to your vision like you can do with digital
- You can not read a book without light. Weather devices have their own lights
Pros and cons of Novels
Pros of the Novel
- People who read fiction novels show a higher ability to understand the feeling of others
- Novels can keep the mind engaging as you grow old.
- Novels can also help in reducing stress as they can make you escape your own world and enter into an imaginary one.
Cons of the Novel
- A novel can lead to daydreaming, which can disturb work life and family time as well.
- Novels can also stoke emotions. Young women and men may strongly identify with the characters of romantic novels.
- Readers may think about the characters and the story of the novel long after the book is closed, which keeps their minds busy.
Short story vs. Novel
A novel also consists of a story, but the main difference between a short story and a novel is that novel contains many different characters and describes a lot of different incidents, while a short story only contains a few characters and focuses on only one main character.\
Book vs. Novel Examples
Example of Book
| Genres | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fiction | The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho |
| Biography | Steve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonEdison by Matthew Josephson |
| Essay | On the pleasure of hating by William Hazlitt,As a White Slave By Nellie Bly |
| Reference books | Dictionary, Encyclopedia |
| Textbook | Mathematics, history, and science textbooks |
| Poetry | The Odyssey by HomerParadise Lost by John Milton |
Examples of the Novel
| Genres | Examples |
|---|---|
| Classic novels | Jane Eyre by Charlotte BronteThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| Romance novels | Gone With the Wind by Margaret MitchellEmma by Jane Austen |
| Mystery/thriller novels | Hitlist by Lawrence BrockThe Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena |
| Horror novels | Devoted by Dean KoontzThe Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates |
| Science fiction | The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah JohnsonThe Ministry For the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson |
Comparison Chart
Comparison Video
Book vs. Novel FAQs
What is the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book?
While comparing comic Book Vs. graphic novels, the graphic novel is a story in the form of the comic strip. At the same time, the comic has a sequence of the comic strip.
What is the Best Book for Writing a novel?
“On Writing” by Stephen King.
Can a nonfiction book be called a novel?
A book is written on a specific subject. So, any book which is less than four thousand words can not be a novel.
Which is the oldest book in the world?
“The Diamond Sutra” dates back to the year 868 AD, and it was founded in 1907.
Which is the world’s first novel?
“The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the world’s first novel. And was written at the start of the 11th century.
What is the difference between a storybook and a novel?
A novel is a story that consists of many different characters and incidents, while a story has fewer characters and focuses on only one main character.
Is a novel always fiction?
A novel is always fiction but can be based on different incidents; like a novel based on history is historical fiction, and based on science is science fiction.
What is the difference between a novel and a nonfiction book?
A novel is a story based upon imaginary characters and incidents, while nonfiction books are based upon facts and provide information about a specific subject.
Can any book be called a novel?
Any written or bound story that has a word count of fewer than forty thousand words doesn’t count as a novel. Books can be from story to workbook, poetry to journal, but a novel only consists of stories.
Which book was called the greatest war novel of all times?
“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy is one of the greatest novel books about war.
Conclusion
Novels and books are both mediums that provide some sort of information in written form. The difference between them is that every novel is a book, but every book is not a novel. Novels are written on the book pages, but a book can be of many different categories like textbooks, biography, or poetry. There are many different novel books to read, like romance, fiction, mystery, horror, and comedy for readers. Both novels and books have positive effects on a person’s personality, and many people like to read books whenever they have to choose Book Vs. movie or book Vs. Other activity.
