Ethan Frome vs Far from the Madding Crowd: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Farm life, Manners and customs, Classic Literature, Romance, Fiction

Cover of Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome Edith Wharton · 1910 ★★★☆☆ 3.5 108 pages · ≈ 2 h 00 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy · 1874 ★★★★☆ 4.4 491 pages · ≈ 9 h 06 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate Far from the Madding Crowd higher: 4.4 vs 3.5 from 587 votes.
Ethan Frome is the quicker read — about 2 hours vs 9 for Far from the Madding Crowd.
Ethan Frome is the easier read (Moderate), Far from the Madding Crowd more demanding (Demanding).

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