Books, old friends that are always new

Has the format of novels hit a saturation point in terms of maturity and usage?

It strikes me as remarkable that while styles of writing have morphed over time (in sync with languages), formats have not kept pace. Cartoons continue to fit snugly into a three / four- panel format (or as series), while novels continue to entertain us through prologues, chapters and epilogues.

It seems that structure is more important than content. What if the structures were to change? What would be the impact?

For one, I think that the medium drives the structure. And, to some extent, structures demand of the medium. That means, content is driven by the underlying technology. Thus, if the delivery channel is a book, then we will continue to read bound sheets of printed paper in our hands. What if the delivery channel is 3G over CDMA devices? Then what would be the format? What if the delivery channel is electronic and delivered at your PC (e.g. we have Harry Potter and Stephen King books distributed in PDF formats)? What if in a bid to maintain our cultural and linguistic diaspora, we will have to mandatorily word every piece of communication in twenty languages? Are the current methods the most effective way to communicate / entertain?

Personally, I think the structure of the novel was a very important innovation in our literate history. But as one raises more questions than answers, doubts are cast on the novel's longevity.

I think we are going to be driven by 'staccato' entertainment delivered over amorphous devices. The novel will simply have to learn to adjust.