Adolphe vs Madame Bovary: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: French fiction, French literature, Manners and customs, Social life and customs, Fiction

Cover of Adolphe

Adolphe Benjamin Constant · 1816 ★★★★☆ 3.7 202 pages · ≈ 3 h 44 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert · 1856 ★★★★☆ 3.7 430 pages · ≈ 7 h 58 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.7 vs 3.7 — either is a safe pick by score.
Adolphe is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 7 for Madame Bovary.
Madame Bovary is the easier read (Challenging), Adolphe more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side