Food in England vs The Forme of Cury: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Cookery, English Cooking, Cooking
Food in England
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The long poem at the centre of John Hartley Williams' new collection is a dramatic monologue narrated by a laconic, possibly lamed, forest dweller, a lowly crewmember on a barge travelling an unnamed waterway. Some of…
The Forme of Cury
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The Forme of Cury (Forms of Cooking, cury being from French cuire) is an extensive recipe collection of the 14th century. Its authors are given as "the chief Master Cooks of King Richard II". The modern name was given…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Food in England highest: Food in England 4.3 · The Forme of Cury 3.9.
- The Forme of Cury is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 12 for Food in England.
- Food in England has the widest readership — 146 ratings behind its score.
- Food in England reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 17 times.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Food in England | The Forme of Cury | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.4 (146) | 4.0 (138) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.0 (1) |
Reception
| Food in England | The Forme of Cury | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 146 | 138 |
| Editions | 10 | 42 |
| Citations | 17 | 1 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 639 | 188 |
| Reading it now | 33 | 54 |
| Written reviews | 14 | 15 |
| Wikipedia attention | 144 | 3244 |
| Pages | 674 | 161 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Food in England or The Forme of Cury?
Food in England has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Food in England 4.3/5, The Forme of Cury 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Food in England or The Forme of Cury?
The Forme of Cury is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Forme of Cury (161 pages, ≈ 2 h 59 m); Food in England (674 pages, ≈ 12 h 29 m).
Which is harder to read: Food in England or The Forme of Cury?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Food in England: Moderate; The Forme of Cury: Demanding.