Agnes Grey vs The Black Robe: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: British and irish fiction, England, English literature, Classic Literature, Fiction
Agnes Grey
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In her Introduction to an edition of "Agnes Grey," Barbara A. Suess writes "Bronte provides a portrait of the governess that is as sympathetic as her fictional indictment of the shallow, selfish moneyed class is…
The Black Robe
“THE doctors could do no more for the Dowager Lady Berrick.”
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The Black Robe is an 1881 partially-epistolary novel by famed English writer, Wilkie Collins. The book, which relates the misadventures of one "Lewis Romayne", is noted for its anti-Catholic lens.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Agnes Grey is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 5 for The Black Robe.
- Agnes Grey has the widest readership — 86553 ratings behind its score.
- Agnes Grey reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 14 times.
Scores by source
| Agnes Grey | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (86553) | 3.7 (812) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 2.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (135) | 4.0 (28) |
Reception
| Agnes Grey | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 86553 | 812 |
| Editions | 616 | 303 |
| Citations | 14 | 9 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 100825 | 851 |
| Reading it now | 3049 | — |
| Written reviews | 8212 | 97 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7686 | 214 |
| Pages | 150 | 318 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Agnes Grey or The Black Robe?
The Black Robe has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Black Robe 3.7/5, Agnes Grey 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Agnes Grey or The Black Robe?
Agnes Grey is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Agnes Grey (150 pages, ≈ 2 h 47 m); The Black Robe (318 pages, ≈ 5 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: Agnes Grey or The Black Robe?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Agnes Grey: Demanding; The Black Robe: Demanding.