Diary of a provincial lady vs On a Chinese screen: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Authors, Manners and customs, Social life and customs, Biography & Memoir
Diary of a provincial lady
The goal of the provincial lady is to maintain 'niceness', whether it be in the home, relationships or personal behaviour. 'The Diary of a Provincial Lady' first published in the 1930s is a witty celebration of the…
vs
On a Chinese screen
On a Chinese Screen was first published in 1922 by Heinemann Publishers, London. Its 58 short vignettes are based on Maugham’s travels along the Yangtze River from 1919 to 1920. Although later editions of the book added…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Diary of a provincial lady is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 4 for On a Chinese screen.
- Diary of a provincial lady has the widest readership — 6875 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Diary of a provincial lady | On a Chinese screen | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (6875) | 3.8 (6) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (10) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (9) | — |
Reception
| Diary of a provincial lady | On a Chinese screen | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 6875 | 6 |
| Editions | 74 | 41 |
| Citations | 3 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 11098 | 12 |
| Reading it now | 598 | — |
| Written reviews | 1037 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 486 | — |
| Pages | 128 | 242 |