Barry Lyndon vs Fergus: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Irish fiction, Irish, Fiction
Barry Lyndon
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Set in late 18th century Europe the adventures and misadventures of a minor member of the Irish gentry trying to better himself. Redmond Barry of Bally Barry is a clever young man, who learns the manners of a gentleman.…
Fergus
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Fergus Fadden, ein in die Staaten ausgewanderter Nordire und Schriftsteller, braucht dringend Geld. Da kommt ihm das Angebot gerade recht, in ein kalifornisches Strandhaus zu ziehen, um dort das Drehbuch zu seinem Roman…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Fergus is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 8 for Barry Lyndon.
- Barry Lyndon has the widest readership — 3031 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Barry Lyndon | Fergus | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (3031) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (2) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (17) | — |
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Reception
| Barry Lyndon | Fergus | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 3031 | 1 |
| Editions | 54 | 12 |
| Citations | 3 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 5974 | — |
| Reading it now | 418 | — |
| Written reviews | 325 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 57405 | 94 |
| Pages | 466 | 210 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Barry Lyndon or Fergus?
Fergus has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Fergus 3.8/5, Barry Lyndon 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: Barry Lyndon or Fergus?
Fergus is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Fergus (210 pages, ≈ 3 h 53 m); Barry Lyndon (466 pages, ≈ 8 h 38 m).
Which is harder to read: Barry Lyndon or Fergus?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Barry Lyndon: Demanding; Fergus: Moderate.