Brideshead Revisited vs The troll garden: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Romance & Relationships, Fiction

Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh · 1945 ★★★★☆ 4.0 327 pages · ≈ 6 h 03 m · Challenging

The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh's novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder's infatuation with the Marchmains and the…

Upper class families Catholics Upper class Men

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The troll garden Willa Cather · 1905 ★★★★☆ 3.9 156 pages · ≈ 2 h 53 m · Challenging

"This collection of Willa Cather stories - her first book of fiction and the capstone of her early career - is as relevant today as at the time of its initial publication. As different and individually distinguished as…

Manners and customs Social life and customs Short Stories

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Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
The troll garden is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 6 for Brideshead Revisited.
Brideshead Revisited has the widest readership — 9496 ratings behind its score.
The troll garden runs the darker storyline; Brideshead Revisited stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The troll garden ≈ 2h vs 6h for Brideshead Revisited In the mood for something dark? The troll garden a darker storyline than Brideshead Revisited Want something lighter? Brideshead Revisited an easier tone than The troll garden

Scores by source

	Brideshead Revisited	The troll garden
Goodreads	4.0 (9496)	4.0 (154)
Hardcover	3.8 (152)	5.0 (1)
Google Books	5.0 (2)	—
Apple Books	4.0 (173)	4.0 (8)

Reception

	Brideshead Revisited	The troll garden
Ratings	9496	154
Editions	88	66
Citations	—	9
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	179465	518
Reading it now	—	51
Written reviews	9496	65
Wikipedia attention	5528	154
Pages	327	156

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Brideshead Revisited or The troll garden?

Brideshead Revisited has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Brideshead Revisited 4.0/5, The troll garden 3.9/5).

Which is shorter to read: Brideshead Revisited or The troll garden?

The troll garden is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The troll garden (156 pages, ≈ 2 h 53 m); Brideshead Revisited (327 pages, ≈ 6 h 03 m).

Which is harder to read: Brideshead Revisited or The troll garden?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Brideshead Revisited: Challenging; The troll garden: Challenging.