A Bird in the House vs They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Depressions, Social life and customs, Fiction

A Bird in the House Margaret Laurence · 1963 ★★★★☆ 4.0 207 pages · ≈ 3 h 50 m · Moderate

“THAT HOUSE in Manawaka is the one which, more than any other, I carry with me.”

A Bird in the House is a series of eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa MacLeod as she matures from a child at age ten into a young woman at age twenty. Wise for her years, Vanessa reveals much about…

Canadian literature Canadian fiction Canada Women

Find on Amazon More like this →

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Horace McCoy · 1935 ★★★★☆ 3.8 319 pages · ≈ 5 h 54 m · Challenging

"The depression of the 1930s led people to desperate measures to survive. The Marathon Dance Craze, which flourished at that time, seemed a simple way for people to earn extra money--dancing the hours away for cash.…

2 film adaptations

United States Classics

Find on Amazon More like this →

Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
A Bird in the House is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? has the widest readership — 12622 ratings behind its score.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? has the bigger screen life — 2 adaptations on record.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? runs the darker storyline; A Bird in the House stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? A Bird in the House ≈ 3h vs 5h for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Want the crowd-tested pick? They Shoot Horses, Don't They? 12622 ratings vs 3000 for A Bird in the House New to the genre? A Bird in the House Moderate vs Challenging for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? In the mood for something dark? They Shoot Horses, Don't They? a darker storyline than A Bird in the House Want something lighter? A Bird in the House an easier tone than They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Scores by source

	A Bird in the House	They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Goodreads	4.0 (3000)	3.9 (12622)
Hardcover	4.0 (3)	3.5 (30)
Apple Books	—	4.0 (23)

Reception

	A Bird in the House	They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Ratings	3000	12622
Editions	35	15
Citations	3	—
Film adaptations	1	2
Want to read	1799	14026
Reading it now	44	252
Written reviews	167	1430
Wikipedia attention	160	3625
Pages	207	319

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: A Bird in the House or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??

A Bird in the House has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Bird in the House 4.0/5, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? 3.8/5).

Which is shorter to read: A Bird in the House or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??

A Bird in the House is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Bird in the House (207 pages, ≈ 3 h 50 m); They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (319 pages, ≈ 5 h 54 m).

Which is harder to read: A Bird in the House or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Bird in the House: Moderate; They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: Challenging.

Have both books been made into films?

A Bird in the House: no film adaptation on record; They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: 1 film adaptation.