It really depends. Some novels can handle a large cast of characters if they're well-developed and their arcs are woven together smoothly. But if it gets overwhelming and confusing for the reader, that's probably too many.
I think it varies by the genre and the author's skill. In a complex epic fantasy, having dozens of characters might be fine if they're all integral. But in a more intimate drama, maybe more than a dozen could be too many and make the story hard to follow.
There's no strict limit. It's more about the quality of the character development. If you have dozens of characters but they all feel one-dimensional or unnecessary, that's too many. But if each adds depth and moves the story forward, then the number doesn't matter as much.
It depends on the genre and style of the novel. In some complex fantasy or epic stories, having a large cast of characters can work. But generally, if it gets confusing for readers to keep track, it's too many.
It really depends. Some novels can handle a large cast of characters well, but if it becomes overwhelming and hard for readers to keep track, it's probably too many. Maybe over 20 significant characters could start to be a problem.
It really depends on the complexity and scope of your story. Some novels can handle a large cast if each character is well-developed and contributes meaningfully to the plot. But generally, if it becomes confusing for readers to keep track of or if some characters seem redundant, that might be too many.
It varies. In a straightforward romance or mystery novel, having more than a dozen major characters could be excessive. However, in a sprawling historical saga, a larger cast might be acceptable as long as each character has a clear purpose and impact on the story.
Not necessarily. It depends on the genre and style of the novel. Some novels can handle longer character counts effectively.
It really depends on the complexity and scope of the story. Some novels can handle more acts and still be engaging, while for others, more than a certain number might make it feel convoluted.
It really depends on the complexity of the story. Generally, more than three or four POVs can start to confuse readers and make the narrative feel disjointed.
It depends. Sometimes 40 characters can work if they're really impactful and convey the essence of the novel well.
No. While some Russian novels are known for their large casts of characters, not all are like this. There are Russian novels with more focused character groups. For example, 'The Master and Margarita' has a core set of very distinct characters, and while there are other minor characters, it doesn't have an overwhelming number.