Emma vs Washington Square: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fathers and daughters, Young women, Classics, Historical Fiction, Classic Literature, Romance
Emma
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Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of…
Washington Square
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With a new afterword by Michael CunninghamWhat Catherine Sloper lacks in brains and beauty, she makes up for by being "very good." The handsome Morris Townsend would do anything to win her hand-even if it means…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Emma highest: Emma 4.0 · Washington Square 3.7.
- Washington Square is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 9 for Emma.
- Emma has the widest readership — 1019390 ratings behind its score.
- Emma reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 73 times.
- Washington Square runs the darker storyline; Emma stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Emma | Washington Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (1019390) | 3.7 (26674) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (851) | 3.7 (39) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (7) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (4089) | 4.0 (21) |
| LiveLib | 3.4 (4) | — |
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Reception
| Emma | Washington Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1019390 | 26674 |
| Editions | 2263 | 219 |
| Citations | 73 | 22 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1014805 | 20198 |
| Reading it now | 66765 | 1119 |
| Written reviews | 46241 | 2488 |
| Wikipedia attention | 28127 | 2802 |
| Pages | 536 | 183 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Emma or Washington Square?
Emma has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Emma 4.0/5, Washington Square 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Emma or Washington Square?
Washington Square is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Washington Square (183 pages, ≈ 3 h 23 m); Emma (536 pages, ≈ 9 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: Emma or Washington Square?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Emma: Demanding; Washington Square: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Emma: 5 film adaptations; Washington Square: 5 film adaptations.