Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone vs Nineteen Eighty-Four: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fantasy, Fiction
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
“Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
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Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'. HARRY POTTER has never even heard of Hogwarts…
Nineteen Eighty-Four
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
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Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, often referred to as 1984, is a dystopian social science fiction novel by the English novelist George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair). It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone highest: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 4.5 · Nineteen Eighty-Four 4.2.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has the widest readership — 11767753 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Nineteen Eighty-Four | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.5 (11767753) | 4.2 (5733183) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (9265) | 5.0 (1) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
Reception
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Nineteen Eighty-Four | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 11767753 | 5733183 |
| Editions | 399 | 536 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1836537 | 3170038 |
| Reading it now | 287150 | — |
| Written reviews | 203304 | 171557 |
| Wikipedia attention | 102689 | 140637 |
| Pages | 334 | 244 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone or Nineteen Eighty-Four?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 4.5/5, Nineteen Eighty-Four 4.2/5).
Which is shorter to read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone or Nineteen Eighty-Four?
Nineteen Eighty-Four is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Nineteen Eighty-Four (244 pages, ≈ 4 h 31 m); Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (334 pages, ≈ 6 h 11 m).
Which is harder to read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone or Nineteen Eighty-Four?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Moderate; Nineteen Eighty-Four: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 1 film adaptation; Nineteen Eighty-Four: 5 film adaptations.