Bitter lemons vs The magic barrel: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Manners and customs, Travel, Social life and customs
Bitter lemons
With the publication of Justine Lawrence Durrell became, almost overnight, one of the most talked about, widely acclaimed novelists of the decade. Now, in Bitter Lemons, his focus has shifted from the world of his…
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The magic barrel
This is Bernard Malamud's first book of short stories. The stories are set in New York and in Italy (where Malamud's alter ego, the struggling New York Jewish Painter Arthur Fidelman, roams amid the ruins of old Europe…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Bitter lemons has the widest readership — 2983 ratings behind its score.
- The magic barrel runs the darker storyline; Bitter lemons stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Bitter lemons | The magic barrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (2983) | 3.9 (2897) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 2.5 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (12) | — |
Reception
| Bitter lemons | The magic barrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2983 | 2897 |
| Editions | 48 | 66 |
| Citations | — | 21 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 4368 | 3528 |
| Reading it now | 525 | 133 |
| Written reviews | 316 | 238 |
| Wikipedia attention | 685 | 424 |
| Pages | 271 | 214 |