Emma vs Mary Barton: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Fathers and daughters, Open_syllabus_project, Social life and customs, Fiction

Cover of Emma

Emma Jane Austen · 1815 ★★★★☆ 4.0 536 pages · ≈ 9 h 56 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of Mary Barton

Mary Barton Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell · 1848 ★★★★☆ 3.8 387 pages · ≈ 7 h 10 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate Emma higher: 4.0 vs 3.8 from 1019390 votes.
Mary Barton is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 9 for Emma.

Side by side