El Dorado vs The Scarlet Pimpernel: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Sir Blakeney, Blakeney, Nobility, France, British, Historical Fiction
El Dorado
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Baroness Orczy's classic adventure novel El Dorado is the sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel and was first published in 1913. Set in 1794's Paris - which "despite the horrors that had stained her walls - has remained a…
The Scarlet Pimpernel
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The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- El Dorado is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for The Scarlet Pimpernel.
- The Scarlet Pimpernel has the widest readership — 143941 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| El Dorado | The Scarlet Pimpernel | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (1795) | 4.1 (143941) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (759) |
Reception
| El Dorado | The Scarlet Pimpernel | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1795 | 143941 |
| Editions | 246 | 591 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1972 | 97073 |
| Reading it now | 139 | 4019 |
| Written reviews | 186 | 9029 |
| Wikipedia attention | 42535 | 4074 |
| Pages | 238 | 370 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: El Dorado or The Scarlet Pimpernel?
El Dorado has the higher combined reader rating across sources (El Dorado 4.1/5, The Scarlet Pimpernel 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: El Dorado or The Scarlet Pimpernel?
El Dorado is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: El Dorado (238 pages, ≈ 4 h 24 m); The Scarlet Pimpernel (370 pages, ≈ 6 h 51 m).
Which is harder to read: El Dorado or The Scarlet Pimpernel?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — El Dorado: Challenging; The Scarlet Pimpernel: Challenging.