Question

Why do people think that "novel" is just another word for "book"?

Answer 1

I think that they might not be used to them not saying novel.

Answer 2

probably because novel and book are synonyms

Answer 3

"Novel" and "book" are not synonyms, or were not until millennials started using "novel" wrong about 15 years ago. It is very insulting to refer to someone's work as a novel when it isn't. It is calling the author a liar.

Answer 4

I'm not here to argue, I'm just saying some people probably figure that they're synonyms.

Answer 5

I know there's a difference between novel and book. But I've heard a lot of people misuse the term novel, especially regarding a large book. A novel IS always a book, but a book isn't always a novel, and it can be irritating. But I don't think people care about the misuse, since it doesn't hurt a specific person and getting butthurt just aint gonna work these days. But getting a novelist (especially an autobiographer) to be called a 'writer' or 'author' really grates my nerves. >:(

Answer 6

But of course, an autobiography is not a novel, and its author is not a novelist. Are you really comfortable calling "The Diary of a Young Girl" *Anne Frank" a novel? If you call it a novel, is that because you are a holocaust denier, because you think it was made up by someone later, or because she intended it to be a work of fiction.

No doubt creationist are happy to call "The Origin of Species" a novel, and likewise "A Brief History of Time" (because it claims the Earth is more than 6,000 years old. "Hamlet," a novel? "Leaves of Grass," a novel?

And what is wrong with "writer" or "author"?

Answer 7

Tbh, I was never sure if there was a difference between them or not...And I still don't know what I novel is.

Answer 8

A novel is a long work of fiction. When you call a book a novel, you are saying it is untrue.

Answer 9

Oh okay. Thanks for the clarification :)