Post
by GenericUsername » Sat Nov 24, 2012 4:19 pm
I don't want to be that guy, but since I usually end up being him, I'll embrace the roll and be the one to say it. Project Horizons is starting to drag on. It's about to run its course. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing story, but let's put things into perspective.
Richardson's Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady is the longest published novel written in English. Estimated word count is 984 870 words. In Search of Lost Time, or, Remembrance of Things Past, written by French author Marcel Proust, clocks in at an unbelievable 1 200 000 words. The original 7 volume print was 4211 pages long. It holds Guinness' World Record for Longest Novel.
If I remember correctly, PH has already breached 1 000 000 words, and let's face it, the pacing is off. Way more things happen than are necessary. There's too much adventure, too many side plots, and too many issues to deal with. Somber claims he has an ending, but we're not really moving towards it. While intriguing side plots and fun adventures are great, it's important to keep your eyes on the goal. Right now, PH is just like playing Fallout. It's a complete sandbox, and the main quest is being pissed on. At some point, it'll all just become too much.
While sandboxing like this is great fun, from a literary view point, it's just doesn't hold up. The core themes are drowning, and I don't think the story will survive another 20 chapters. It's too much of the good, you know? There's a reason few novel are this long, and by chapter 70, how many word will we have? 1 500 000? It's... it's too much story, if that makes any sense. It takes skills and experience as an author that Somber lacks to pull of something like this. Soon we'll just be treading water, and that's the worst thing that can happen to a story. When the words just tell of things that are happening, and don't have any kind of meaning beyond that, the story has failed, no matter how good the prose is.
Regardless, it will still be an amazing fanfic. I'm just hoping he can finish this while it's still more than that.
War does not determine who is right - only who is left. - Bertrand Russell
