Alice in Wonderland: A Play for A Novel?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Hello,

Do you consider "Alice in Wonderland" a play or a novel?

Most people call it just a story, but it is long enough to qualify as a novel.
But what about the dialogues it has? The majority of the book is dialogues. Won't that qualify it as a play?

I know it was not intended to be performed, but I'm not talking about what author meant, I'm talking about what the text is.

What do you think? :)
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
It was originally a novel. It has been performed as play and made into several movies.
 

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Thanks Barb.

But what makes you (and everybody in deed :) ) call it a novel?
The majority of the text consists of dialogues not a narrative.

And from what I know, that a play is dominantly consisting of dialogues, while a novel is basically a narrative which might include some dispersed conversations or dialogues.

Thanks.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
But what makes you (and indeed everybody ) call it a novel?
A novel is written to be read.
A play is written to be performed on stage.

'Alice' was written to be read.
 

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Thanks fivejedjon.
So it is about the intent of the author?
How do you know that "x" intended for his work to be read or performed, supposing that he or she did not say that?
Won't you just deduce that from the characteristics of the book?
If it is mostly dialogues, won't that make it a play rather than a novel?

Thanks.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
It is quite possible for a novel to contain more dialogue than a play. Dialogue in a novel is a record of what the characters said; dialogue in a play is what the actors playing the characters are to say.

Have a look at a published play. You will soon see that it is set out very differently from a novel.
 

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Thanks fivejedjon.
Sorry for nagging too much about this. :)
If I read a book, how do I tell if it is a play or a novel, supposing that the author never said anything about that.

What is my measuring-rod that will make me say: Yes, this is definately a play or a novel.


Thanks.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
If I read a book, how do I tell if it is a play or a novel, supposing that the author never said anything about that.
Well, apart from anything else that has been said in this thread, playwrights present their written works as plays. If you are reading something and nobody has suggested that it is a play, then it probably isn't a play.

And, I have to say, that is my final word on this. If you have other questions, you can post them, but I am moving to other threads.
 

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Thanks :)
Maybe someone else has another viewpoint.
I'm being a bit hypothetical. I'm trying to deduce what are the characteristics that make a text a play or a novel.

Any input is appreciated.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Dialogue in a novel:

'I'm sorry to ring you at 6 am, Hilary', apologised Gaylord.

'No problem, honey - I had to get up anyway to answer the phone,' she retorted.

Dialogue in a play:

GAYLORD (apologetically): I'm sorry to ring you at 6 am, Hilary.

HILARY (waspishly): No problem, honey - I had to get up anyway to answer the phone.

Rover
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Additionally, you will never have any introspection in a play. You won't see "she wondered whether" or "he was intensely frightened" or other things that tell you how the person was feeling or what they were thinking. You won't have large passages of description. You need to find a play that was written as a play and see how it's set out, as 5jj expressed previously and you'll see immediately how they differ.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Thanks :)
Maybe someone else has another viewpoint.
I'm being a bit hypothetical. I'm trying to deduce what are the characteristics that make a text a play or a novel.

Any input is appreciated.

William Gaddis wrote an entire novel that consists almost entirely of dialogue, though many find it very hard to read: J R - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Ducklet Cat

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Kuwait
Current Location
Kuwait
Dialogue in a novel:



Dialogue in a play:



Rover

All right! I finally got the difference. :)
Many thanks Rover.
I had the false impression that dialogue "is not OK" in novels.
But I have to say that I ran into some novels that use the following format for their dialogues:

And he asked her eagerly:
- Have you seen it?
- not yet.
- Why?
- Haven't had the time.

Thanks. :up:
 

youandcorey

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
Japan
Rover_KE,

you certainly know how to convey a decisive answer.
Well done!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top