Four Novellas to Read During Finals Week

By Karlie Shoffner

Finals are approaching, leaving many students busy writing essays and studying for exams. For us readers, it is difficult for us to dedicate time to reading a full novel at this point in the semester because of all the work we have to finish up. Those who want to take a break from studying to read for fun may be interested, then, in reading one of these four novellas. Each one is under 200 pages and can be read in only a few hours leaving plenty of time for schoolwork to still get done.

Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo

Wild wolves are on the cusp of extinction. Dr. Sean Kell-Luddon, fascinated by these creatures, will do whatever it takes to study the creatures before they are gone forever. She undergoes neurosurgery and implant is placed in her brain—as well as one of the wolf’s brains—to translate the animal’s senses into Sean’s own mind. But this research comes at a great cost. As the study continues, Sean’s relationship with her wife begins to decline, and her own mind is put under great threat. This novella is 112 pages in length.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

This novella is told by the character Red through a narrative he has been writing for almost two years. In 1947 a man named Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank State Penitentiary. He has been convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover, although he says that he is innocent. As his sentence goes on, he maintains and innocent act and forming connections along the way with the prison staff and with Red. Until one night he shocks the entire prison and shatters the perception everyone has had of him. This novella is 128 pages in length.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

In a vast empire a woman is being sent from her home in the far north to the south for a political marriage. War has surrounded her home for some time; the armies were defeated long ago, and her brothers are dead. In her new home she is often alone and reviled until the arrival of Rabbit, a handmaiden who has been sold to the empress by her parents. Together the two will conquer the enemies of the empress one by one. This novella is 119 pages in length.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Ariadne is an astronaut on a mission to explore planets. But the goals of these missions are not what you would expect them to be. Instead of the planets being changed to sustain human life, it is the astronauts themselves that undergo change. Each time they wake up, their bodies have changed to suit the planet they will be going to that day. As the expedition continues, Ariadne’s home on Earth changes again and again, but her mission stays the same.  This novella is 153 pages in length.

These last two weeks of the semester are very busy for students. For those who want to read for fun but don’t have time to read a full novel, reading a novella is the perfect solution. They are long enough that they offer a break from school but not so long that they become a distraction.