novella
n. countablen. a story that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. It usually focuses on one main character or event without having many complicated side stories.
n. a work of narrative prose fiction whose length falls between that of a short story and a novel. Typically ranges from 17,000 to 40,000 words and maintains a tighter structural focus than a full-length novel.
The author decided to publish her short story as a novella.
Many classic works of literature, such as 'Of Mice and Men', are technically classified as a novella rather than a novel.
While the novel allows for expansive subplots and a vast cast of characters, the novella demands a more concentrated narrative arc, often centering on a single transformative psychological event.
Borrowed from Italian novella. Doublet of novel.
Often used in literary criticism to distinguish works by word count or structural density.