His Whole Life vs The Magnificent Ambersons: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mothers and sons, Families, Fiction
The Magnificent Ambersons
More
Major Amberson had "made a fortune" in 1878, when other people were losing fortunes, and the magnificence of the Ambersons began then. Magnificence, like the size of a fortune, is always comparative, as even Magnificent…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Magnificent Ambersons has the widest readership — 12416 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| His Whole Life | The Magnificent Ambersons | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (2317) | 3.8 (12416) |
| Hardcover | 3.0 (1) | 3.9 (22) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (24) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| His Whole Life | The Magnificent Ambersons | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2317 | 12416 |
| Editions | 5 | 194 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 2362 | 12886 |
| Reading it now | 69 | — |
| Written reviews | 338 | 1245 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 1897 |
| Pages | 352 | 276 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: His Whole Life or The Magnificent Ambersons?
The Magnificent Ambersons has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Magnificent Ambersons 3.8/5, His Whole Life 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: His Whole Life or The Magnificent Ambersons?
The Magnificent Ambersons is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Magnificent Ambersons (276 pages, ≈ 5 h 07 m); His Whole Life (352 pages, ≈ 6 h 31 m).
Which is harder to read: His Whole Life or The Magnificent Ambersons?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — His Whole Life: Moderate; The Magnificent Ambersons: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
His Whole Life: no film adaptation on record; The Magnificent Ambersons: 2 film adaptations.