Disgrace vs La père Goriot: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Fathers and daughters in fiction, Fathers and daughters, Fiction

Cover of Disgrace

Disgrace J. M. Coetzee · 1999 ★★★★☆ 3.9 252 pages · ≈ 4 h 40 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of La père Goriot

La père Goriot Honoré de Balzac · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.9 285 pages · ≈ 5 h 17 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
Disgrace is the easier read (Moderate), La père Goriot more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side