A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man vs Exiles: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Manuscripts, Facsimiles, Manuscripts, Drama
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
More
Stephen Dedalus grows up in Dublin, feeling different from the other boys. His childhood and adolescence are shaped by bullying, his father's weaknesses and the growing realization that in order to make his way in the…
Exiles
More
Exiles by James Joyce is a modernist play that explores themes of love, betrayal, and artistic integrity. The drama revolves around an Irish writer and his complex relationships with his wife and a friend. Reflecting…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has the widest readership — 167858 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Exiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (167858) | 3.5 (2393) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (300) | 2.5 (2) |
| Google Books | 3.5 (3) | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (31) | — |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Exiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 167858 | 2393 |
| Editions | 765 | 91 |
| Citations | 256 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 178390 | 2413 |
| Reading it now | — | 39 |
| Written reviews | 9911 | 207 |
| Wikipedia attention | 17085 | 6617 |
| Pages | 216 | 158 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Exiles?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 3.6/5, Exiles 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Exiles?
Exiles is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Exiles (158 pages, ≈ 2 h 56 m); A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (216 pages, ≈ 4 h 00 m).
Which is harder to read: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Exiles?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Demanding; Exiles: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: 1 film adaptation; Exiles: no film adaptation on record.