Heartbreak House vs The Way of the World: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Upper class, British and irish drama, Drama
Heartbreak House
“HEARTBREAK HOUSE is not merely the name of the play which follows this preface.”
More
Published in 1919, Heartbreak House is an examination of the failings of the European leisure classes before World War I—failings that author George Bernard Shaw blamed for the war, and that he predicted would quickly…
The Way of the World
“My Lord,-Whether the world will arraign me of vanity or not, that I have presumed to dedicate this comedy to your lordship, I am yet in doubt; though, it may be, it is some degree of vanity even to doubt of it.”
More
The Way of the World is a comedy play written by the English playwright William Congreve, first performed in 1700. It premiered in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded by critics as one…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Heartbreak House highest: Heartbreak House 3.7 · The Way of the World 3.3.
- The Way of the World has the widest readership — 4597 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Heartbreak House | The Way of the World | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (2904) | 3.3 (4597) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (6) | 3.2 (6) |
Reception
| Heartbreak House | The Way of the World | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2904 | 4597 |
| Editions | 100 | 174 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 2641 | 2606 |
| Written reviews | 165 | 256 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1373 | 2296 |
| Pages | 160 | 182 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Heartbreak House or The Way of the World?
Heartbreak House has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Heartbreak House 3.7/5, The Way of the World 3.3/5).
Which is shorter to read: Heartbreak House or The Way of the World?
Heartbreak House is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Heartbreak House (160 pages, ≈ 2 h 58 m); The Way of the World (182 pages, ≈ 3 h 22 m).
Which is harder to read: Heartbreak House or The Way of the World?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Heartbreak House: Challenging; The Way of the World: Demanding.