Essays vs The Poetical Works of John Dryden: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English poetry, Criticism and interpretation, History and criticism, Poetry

Cover of Essays

Essays Matthew Arnold · 1865 ★★★★☆ 3.9 380 pages · ≈ 7 h 02 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Poetical Works of John Dryden

The Poetical Works of John Dryden John Dryden · 1777 ★★★★☆ 3.8 524 pages · ≈ 9 h 42 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Essays is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 9 for The Poetical Works of John Dryden.

Side by side