What is the difference between a novel and a short story?

In my opinion a novel is a highly descriptive and involving story in which the reader is heavily invested in, whereas a short story is a bare-boned literary experience during which the reader is only expected to draw major themes from. Readers of novels are required to spend more time and energy in order to experience the story; however they are rewarded with fantastic insight to the characters and their lives. A short story on the other hand is less demanding on the reader because the plot develops quicker and comes to a climax sooner than in a novel. A metaphor that can be used to compare the two is the following: Imagine watching a baseball game in its entirety, all nine innings, every pitch, and every play. Consider this the “novel.” Now imagine watching Sportscenter late at night and catching only the highlights of the game. Consider this the “short story.” In both cases the person watching receives mostly the same information: the score, the big plays of the game, the home runs, the errors, etc. The major difference between the two experiences is that the person who watched the full game was able to get every detail of the game while the person who simply watched Sportscenter only caught the overall or major plot details.

What is the result of this difference in styles?

Because authors of short stories must move their plots along quicker than authors of novels, short stories tend to be full of action, rather than exposition. This means that readers of short stories are unable to get to know the characters as well as readers of novels, but this does not mean that short stories are less satisfying or rewarding to read. In fact short stories are perhaps the ideal medium for authors impart their opinions and values. Short stories don’t overload the reader with details (or pages for that matter); instead they cut right to the chase allowing readers to more easily draw upon major themes or lessons from the material, which they can hopefully apply directly to their lives. Novels, with their many plot twists and turns, tend to be an experience for readers rather than a lesson. Readers of novels go into their reading with the attitude that they will be shocked and awed by the linguistic wizardry of the author. This difference in styles results in two completely different works which have two completely different purposes, even though short stories and novels share the same plot components (setting, conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution).