Forster vs Le rouge et le noir: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Critique et interprétation, Criticism and interpretation
Forster
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E.M. Forster's beloved novel of forbidden love, culture clash, and the confines of Edwardian society   Visiting Florence with her prim and proper cousin Charlotte as a chaperone, Lucy Honeychurch meets the…
Le rouge et le noir
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The story of an ambitious youth without birth or fortune in France in the 19th century.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Forster is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 9 for Le rouge et le noir.
- Le rouge et le noir has the widest readership — 4410 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Forster | Le rouge et le noir | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.5 (4) | 3.9 (4410) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 3.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (9) |
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Reception
| Forster | Le rouge et le noir | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 4 | 4410 |
| Editions | 17 | 404 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 6 | 107448 |
| Reading it now | — | 22 |
| Written reviews | — | 4410 |
| Wikipedia attention | 144 | 9950 |
| Pages | 180 | 514 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Forster or Le rouge et le noir?
Forster has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Forster 3.9/5, Le rouge et le noir 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Forster or Le rouge et le noir?
Forster is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Forster (180 pages, ≈ 3 h 20 m); Le rouge et le noir (514 pages, ≈ 9 h 31 m).
Which is harder to read: Forster or Le rouge et le noir?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Forster: Challenging; Le rouge et le noir: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Forster: no film adaptation on record; Le rouge et le noir: 5 film adaptations.