in purely quantitative terms, the novella exists between the novel and short story; the publisher melville house classifies it as "too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story". there is no precise definition in terms of word or page count. literary prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits, which vary according to their particular intentions. summarizing the variable definitions of the novella, william giraldi concludes "[it is a form] whose identity seems destined to be disputed into perpetuity". it has been suggested that the size restriction of the form produces various stylistic results, both some that are shared with the novel or short story, and others unique to the form.