Barnaby Rudge vs The mystery of Edwin Drood: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Cathedrals, Missing persons, British and irish fiction, Fiction

Cover of Barnaby Rudge

Barnaby Rudge Charles Dickens · 1840 ★★★★☆ 3.8 665 pages · ≈ 12 h 19 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The mystery of Edwin Drood

The mystery of Edwin Drood Charles Dickens · 1870 ★★★★☆ 3.7 350 pages · ≈ 6 h 29 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.7 — either is a safe pick by score.
The mystery of Edwin Drood is the quicker read — about 6 hours vs 12 for Barnaby Rudge.
The mystery of Edwin Drood is the easier read (Challenging), Barnaby Rudge more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side