Adolphe vs The Plague: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: French fiction, French literature, Fiction
Adolphe
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Adolphe is a privileged and refined young man, bored by the stupidity he perceives in the world around him. After a number of meaningless conquests, he at last encounters Ellenore, a beautiful and passionate older…
The Plague
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From the Publisher: From one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers of the twentieth century-two novels, six short stories, and a pair of essays in a single volume. In both his essays and his fiction, Albert…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Plague highest: The Plague 4.1 · Adolphe 3.7.
- Adolphe is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 12 for The Plague.
- Adolphe has the widest readership — 388388 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Adolphe | The Plague | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (388388) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (1) | 3.7 (3) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (14) |
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Reception
| Adolphe | The Plague | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 388388 | 14 |
| Editions | 134 | 2 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 377030 | — |
| Reading it now | 23803 | — |
| Written reviews | 21959 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 598 | 132985 |
| Pages | 202 | 680 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Adolphe or The Plague?
The Plague has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Plague 4.1/5, Adolphe 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Adolphe or The Plague?
Adolphe is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Adolphe (202 pages, ≈ 3 h 44 m); The Plague (680 pages, ≈ 12 h 36 m).
Which is harder to read: Adolphe or The Plague?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Adolphe: Demanding; The Plague: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Adolphe: 1 film adaptation; The Plague: no film adaptation on record.