Alexander and the wind-up mouse vs The Phantom Tollbooth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
Alexander and the wind-up mouse
“One day, when there was no one in the house, Alexander heard a squeak in Annie's room.”
"Help! Help! A mouse!" There was a scream. Then a crash. Cups, saucers, and spoons were flying in all directions. Alexander ran for his hole as fast as his little legs would carry him. All Alexander wanted was a few…
vs
The Phantom Tollbooth
“There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself-not just sometimes, but always.”
The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It was published in 1961 by Random House (USA). It tells the story of a bored young boy named…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Alexander and the wind-up mouse is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 4 for The Phantom Tollbooth.
- The Phantom Tollbooth has the widest readership — 312947 ratings behind its score.
- Alexander and the wind-up mouse runs the darker storyline; The Phantom Tollbooth stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Alexander and the wind-up mouse
≈ 1h vs 4h for The Phantom Tollbooth
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Phantom Tollbooth
312947 ratings vs 8671 for Alexander and the wind-up mouse
New to the genre?
Alexander and the wind-up mouse
Light vs Moderate for The Phantom Tollbooth
In the mood for something dark?
Alexander and the wind-up mouse
a darker storyline than The Phantom Tollbooth
Want something lighter?
The Phantom Tollbooth
an easier tone than Alexander and the wind-up mouse
Scores by source
| Alexander and the wind-up mouse | The Phantom Tollbooth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (8671) | 4.2 (312947) |
| Hardcover | 4.4 (8) | 4.2 (556) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (3) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (1504) |
Reception
| Alexander and the wind-up mouse | The Phantom Tollbooth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 8671 | 312947 |
| Editions | 29 | 64 |
| Citations | 24 | — |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 143090 |
| Reading it now | — | 7390 |
| Written reviews | — | 15691 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 10744 |
| Pages | 32 | 255 |