Bitter lemons vs The Middle Kingdom: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Politics and government, Manners and customs, Description and travel, Travel, Social life and customs
Bitter lemons
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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…
The Middle Kingdom
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First published in 2009. This work by S. Wells Williams is a complete look at the Chinese Empire during the mid-nineteenth century. Subjects include the divisions of the Empire, geographical descriptions, religion and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Bitter lemons is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 15 for The Middle Kingdom.
- Bitter lemons has the widest readership — 2983 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Bitter lemons | The Middle Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (2983) | 3.9 (1622) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 3.4 (8) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (12) | — |
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Reception
| Bitter lemons | The Middle Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2983 | 1622 |
| Editions | 48 | 47 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 4368 | 1651 |
| Reading it now | 525 | 25 |
| Written reviews | 316 | 83 |
| Wikipedia attention | 685 | 1042 |
| Pages | 271 | 810 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Bitter lemons or The Middle Kingdom?
The Middle Kingdom has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Middle Kingdom 3.9/5, Bitter lemons 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Bitter lemons or The Middle Kingdom?
Bitter lemons is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Bitter lemons (271 pages, ≈ 5 h 01 m); The Middle Kingdom (810 pages, ≈ 15 h 00 m).
Which is harder to read: Bitter lemons or The Middle Kingdom?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Bitter lemons: Moderate; The Middle Kingdom: Demanding.