A Study in Scarlet vs The Dispossessed: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
A Study in Scarlet
“IN the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army.”
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A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature.
The Dispossessed
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Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Study in Scarlet is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 6 for The Dispossessed.
- A Study in Scarlet has the widest readership — 509333 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| A Study in Scarlet | The Dispossessed | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (509333) | 4.3 (15473) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1127) | 4.2 (881) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (3581) | — |
| LiveLib | 4.8 (4) | — |
Reception
| A Study in Scarlet | The Dispossessed | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 509333 | 15473 |
| Editions | 1447 | 75 |
| Citations | 16 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 267494 | 242459 |
| Reading it now | 14669 | — |
| Written reviews | 22505 | 15473 |
| Wikipedia attention | 16888 | 22377 |
| Pages | 106 | 352 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Study in Scarlet or The Dispossessed?
The Dispossessed has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Dispossessed 4.3/5, A Study in Scarlet 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Study in Scarlet or The Dispossessed?
A Study in Scarlet is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Study in Scarlet (106 pages, ≈ 1 h 58 m); The Dispossessed (352 pages, ≈ 6 h 31 m).
Which is harder to read: A Study in Scarlet or The Dispossessed?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Study in Scarlet: Challenging; The Dispossessed: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
A Study in Scarlet: 5 film adaptations; The Dispossessed: no film adaptation on record.