A Tale of Two Cities vs Romeo and Juliet: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English literature, Drama, History, Fiction
A Tale of Two Cities
“DEPENDING ON WHO you listened to, it was either the best of times, or it was the worst of times.”
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A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long…
Romeo and Juliet
“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.”
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Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Romeo and Juliet is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for A Tale of Two Cities.
- Romeo and Juliet has the widest readership — 2884790 ratings behind its score.
- A Tale of Two Cities runs the darker storyline; Romeo and Juliet stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Tale of Two Cities | Romeo and Juliet | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (1032035) | 3.7 (2884790) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (904) | 3.5 (2139) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (144) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (2145) | 4.0 (762) |
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Reception
| A Tale of Two Cities | Romeo and Juliet | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1032035 | 2884790 |
| Editions | 2060 | 985 |
| Citations | — | 15 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1006172 | 761934 |
| Reading it now | 69914 | 69919 |
| Written reviews | 28604 | 40404 |
| Wikipedia attention | 62565 | 97193 |
| Pages | 405 | 108 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Tale of Two Cities or Romeo and Juliet?
A Tale of Two Cities has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Tale of Two Cities 3.9/5, Romeo and Juliet 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Tale of Two Cities or Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Romeo and Juliet (108 pages, ≈ 2 h 00 m); A Tale of Two Cities (405 pages, ≈ 7 h 30 m).
Which is harder to read: A Tale of Two Cities or Romeo and Juliet?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Tale of Two Cities: Demanding; Romeo and Juliet: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
A Tale of Two Cities: 5 film adaptations; Romeo and Juliet: 5 film adaptations.