Armadale vs Mr. Scarborough's Family: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fathers and sons, British and irish fiction, England, Social life and customs, Classic Literature, Fiction
Armadale
“ON a warm May night, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-one, the Reverend Decimus Brock-at that time a visitor to the Isle of Man-retired to his bedroom, at Castletown, with a serious personal responsibility in close pursuit of him, and with no distinct idea of the means by which he might relieve himself from the pressure of his present circumstances.”
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Cuando el anciano Allan Armadale escribe su terrible confesión en el lecho de muerte, no puede ni imaginarse las repercusiones que tendrá esa carta cuando su hijo recién nacido la lea años después. Por segunda vez, dos…
Mr. Scarborough's Family
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It will be necessary, for the purpose of my story, that I shall go back more than once from the point at which it begins, so that I may explain with the least amount of awkwardness the things as they occurred, which led…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Armadale is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 11 for Mr. Scarborough's Family.
- Armadale has the widest readership — 7481 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Armadale | Mr. Scarborough's Family | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (7481) | 3.9 (365) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (5) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (48) | 4.5 (15) |
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Reception
| Armadale | Mr. Scarborough's Family | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 7481 | 365 |
| Editions | 261 | 60 |
| Citations | 16 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 11751 | 409 |
| Reading it now | 475 | 56 |
| Written reviews | 602 | 41 |
| Wikipedia attention | 936 | 75 |
| Pages | 346 | 643 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Armadale or Mr. Scarborough's Family?
Armadale has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Armadale 4.0/5, Mr. Scarborough's Family 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Armadale or Mr. Scarborough's Family?
Armadale is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Armadale (346 pages, ≈ 6 h 24 m); Mr. Scarborough's Family (643 pages, ≈ 11 h 54 m).
Which is harder to read: Armadale or Mr. Scarborough's Family?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Armadale: Demanding; Mr. Scarborough's Family: Demanding.