Bleak House vs Hard Times: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Social problems, Social conditions, Social life and customs, History, Fiction

Cover of Bleak House

Bleak House Charles Dickens · 1850 ★★★★☆ 4.0 588 pages · ≈ 10 h 53 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Hard Times

Hard Times Charles Dickens · 1854 ★★★★☆ 3.8 347 pages · ≈ 6 h 26 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Hard Times is the quicker read — about 6 hours vs 10 for Bleak House.

Side by side