A Raisin in the Sun vs Roots: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: African American families, Afro-Americans, African Americans, History

A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry · 1958 ★★★★☆ 3.9 146 pages · ≈ 2 h 42 m · Moderate

This groundbreaking play starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in the Broadway production which opened in 1959. Set on Chicago's South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and…

Motion picture plays 20th Century American Race Relations

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Roots Alex Haley · 1861 ★★★★☆ 4.4 476 pages · ≈ 8 h 49 m · Demanding

“Early in the spring of 1750, in the village of Juffure, four days upriver from the coast of The Gambia, West Africa, a manchild was born to Omoro and Binta Kinte.”

Roots is a novel written by Alex Haley and published in 1976. It portrays the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and…

Blacks Family Religion Poetry

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Roots highest: Roots 4.4 · A Raisin in the Sun 3.9.
A Raisin in the Sun is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 8 for Roots.
Roots has the widest readership — 166305 ratings behind its score.
A Raisin in the Sun runs the darker storyline; Roots stays the lighter read.

A Raisin in the Sun: Check price →Roots: Check price →

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? A Raisin in the Sun ≈ 2h vs 8h for Roots Just want the better-reviewed one? Roots 4.4 vs 3.9 from readers New to the genre? A Raisin in the Sun Moderate vs Demanding for Roots In the mood for something dark? A Raisin in the Sun a darker storyline than Roots Want something lighter? Roots an easier tone than A Raisin in the Sun

Scores by source

	A Raisin in the Sun	Roots
Goodreads	3.9 (114798)	4.5 (166305)
Hardcover	3.0 (1)	4.2 (71)
Apple Books	4.0 (586)	4.5 (117)
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Reception

	A Raisin in the Sun	Roots
Ratings	114798	166305
Editions	80	63
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	46189	115536
Reading it now	2062	3274
Written reviews	6580	4826
Wikipedia attention	15794	30030
Pages	146	476
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: A Raisin in the Sun or Roots?

Roots has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Roots 4.4/5, A Raisin in the Sun 3.9/5).

Which is shorter to read: A Raisin in the Sun or Roots?

A Raisin in the Sun is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Raisin in the Sun (146 pages, ≈ 2 h 42 m); Roots (476 pages, ≈ 8 h 49 m).

Which is harder to read: A Raisin in the Sun or Roots?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Raisin in the Sun: Moderate; Roots: Demanding.