As any book of old can testify, and the bible is my witness, the longest story worth telling does not exceed a couple of hundred words. This holds for all times and all cultures. Lamentably, the only exception is ours. Why? Once upon a time, stories were told rather than read. Once told, they were deliberated upon and embroidered by the assembled listeners without fail. Now stories are read, most often in utmost solitude. At best, comments are written for the posterity of solitary disposition, too. The difference between telling and writing translates into the difference between listening and reading. The novel would have been unimaginable in oral cultures, but it has become the mainstay of literary ones, including ours. To the detriment of all, to be sure. Once upon a time, stories were not invented by anyone. They came out of nowhere and they were precious as such. Now they are invented by precious authors and signed with pride. Thus they get ever longer, and ever less meaningful to all concerned. Listening beats reading just as telling beats writing. And the best place for storytelling is the fire. The meeting place of our ancestors and the only hope of our progeny. The story’s hearth, as well as its destiny.

Addendum (December 10, 2016)

This homage to storytelling is a joy to read, and it requires no embellishment of any substance, but I still feel like adding a few words about a literary genre that is shaking the markets as of late: the novel series. A century or so ago, they started as trilogies, but now the series stretch as long as the market would bear. The longer, the merrier. Often enough, they are turned into movie series, which attract ever-larger crowds of spectators. Much money is made in the bargain, too. Deep down, though, these series are made up of so many stories. The best among them survive, and they keep being retold among the fans, but the rest perish. Returning to storytelling, not even the novel and movie series of this day and age would have any chance without the oral transmission. Only the fireplace is missing for the time being, but its future is bright.