A Short Stay in Hell vs Piranesi: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
A Short Stay in Hell
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An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never…
Piranesi
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. Piranesi's house is no ordinary building; its rooms are…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Short Stay in Hell is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for Piranesi.
- Piranesi has the widest readership — 1707 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| A Short Stay in Hell | Piranesi | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 4.1 (703) | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1034) | 4.5 (1707) |
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Reception
| A Short Stay in Hell | Piranesi | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1034 | 1707 |
| Editions | 2 | 23 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 36111 | 9596 |
| Pages | 104 | 272 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Short Stay in Hell or Piranesi?
Piranesi has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Piranesi 4.5/5, A Short Stay in Hell 4.3/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Short Stay in Hell or Piranesi?
A Short Stay in Hell is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Short Stay in Hell (104 pages, ≈ 1 h 56 m); Piranesi (272 pages, ≈ 5 h 02 m).
Which is harder to read: A Short Stay in Hell or Piranesi?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Short Stay in Hell: Moderate; Piranesi: Moderate.