Ariel vs North of Boston: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: American poetry, American literature, Poetry
Ariel
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"A restored edition of Sylvia Plath's collection of poems that were published after her death that restores the selection and arrangement of the poems as Plath left them at the point of her death." Upon the publication…
North of Boston
“I'M going out to clean the pasture spring;”
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From the book:SOMETHING there is that doesn't love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Ariel highest: Ariel 4.2 · North of Boston 3.9.
- Ariel has the widest readership — 92334 ratings behind its score.
- Ariel runs the darker storyline; North of Boston stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Ariel | North of Boston | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (92334) | 5.0 (1) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (104) | 3.5 (2) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (14) | 4.0 (49) |
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Reception
| Ariel | North of Boston | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 92334 | 49 |
| Editions | 57 | 56 |
| Citations | — | 37 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 165705 | — |
| Reading it now | 3844 | — |
| Written reviews | 5874 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 3712 | 505 |
| Pages | 96 | 141 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Ariel or North of Boston?
Ariel has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Ariel 4.2/5, North of Boston 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Ariel or North of Boston?
Ariel is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Ariel (96 pages, ≈ 1 h 47 m); North of Boston (141 pages, ≈ 2 h 37 m).
Which is harder to read: Ariel or North of Boston?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Ariel: Demanding; North of Boston: Demanding.