Arcadia vs The Black Robe: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: British and irish fiction, English literature, Classic Literature, Fiction
Arcadia
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Basilus, a foolish old duke, consults an oracle as he imperiously wishes to know the future, but he is less than pleased with what he learns. To escape the oracle's horrific prophecies about his family and kingdom he…
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.
- The Black Robe is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 10 for Arcadia.
- Arcadia has the widest readership — 26936 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Arcadia | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (26936) | 3.7 (812) |
| Hardcover | — | 2.0 (2) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (2) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (28) |
Reception
| Arcadia | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 26936 | 812 |
| Editions | 61 | 303 |
| Citations | — | 9 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 851 |
| Written reviews | — | 97 |
| Wikipedia attention | 2115 | 214 |
| Pages | 561 | 318 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Arcadia or The Black Robe?
The Black Robe has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Black Robe 3.7/5, Arcadia 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Arcadia or The Black Robe?
The Black Robe is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Black Robe (318 pages, ≈ 5 h 53 m); Arcadia (561 pages, ≈ 10 h 23 m).
Which is harder to read: Arcadia or The Black Robe?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Arcadia: Demanding; The Black Robe: Demanding.