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Old 2009-02-27, 04:23   Link #42
Doraneko
The Owl of Minerva
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystique View Post
Saying that, 'what is a light novel?' then?
Where does the 'light' aspect fall into it, how is it different from any random teenage fantasy or Harry Potter book?
Basically, give a quick rundown of 'light novels 101'.
Strictly speaking, light novels are simply novels published under light novel labels by certain publishers in the industry. I know it sounds incredibly silly, but this is the most accurate definition you can get.

Indeed the line between "ordinary novels" and "light novels" is getting thinner and thinner with quite a number of titles existing in both sides of the border already.

Generally speaking, light novels tend to come with (1) anime-style covers, with (2) anime-style illustrations and (3) anime-esque storylines. These are not golden rules btw. But you can probably understand that the extra effort on adding these features are for attracting (4) teenagers.

Scrap off the fancy external features, and you get a contemporary Japanese entertainment novel for teenagers and young adults. No more, no less. You might have written Haruhi in Japanese, but if you failed to get it published under LN labels, it would be recorded as an "bunko" i.e. "ordinary pocket-size paperback novel" in any book store's database.

So how about Japanese entertainment novels for youngsters? First, (A) each book tends to be much shorter than your average English novel. This is largely because of the emphasis on portability since most Japanese readers enjoy their daily readings during commutes. For long stories (eg Saiunkoku, Marimite, etc), they are separated into countless paperbacks, again for portability. Bringing your brick-like Harry Potter with you all day makes you look like a nerd and brings you inconveniences, but a regular Japanese paperback can fit nicely into your coat pocket, and can probably bring you more fun than your NDS/PSP.

Second, similar to anime and manga and unlike your average teenage fantasies, (B) they have Japanese as their target audience. This is both an advantage and disadvantage in the Western market. Anime/manga fans probably have enough cultural understandings to appreciate the customs and jokes. But people who overemphasize on the beauty of English prose and try to expect them to be a substitute to English classics will surely be disappointed.

More specifically (and with a growing number of exceptions), they have the following characteristics :

1. Extensive use of colloquial language
2. Plot and writing style influenced by anime/manga
3. Solely for entertainment
4. The writers are not exactly "telling" stories to the young readers, but sharing with them interesting stories written from the viewpoint of an average young reader.
5. "Media mix" - manga, anime and game adaptations/novelizations
(from wikipedia CH)

IMO the best way to understand what a LN is, is to experience it by your own self. Try to get a copy of Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi). It was the very first LN I read, and I have been sucked into the LN world ever since.

Last edited by Doraneko; 2009-02-27 at 04:44.
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