Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick vs If Beale Street Could Talk: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: African American fiction, African Americans, New york, Fiction
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick
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From “one of the greatest writers of our time” (Toni Morrison)—the author of Barracoon and Their Eyes Were Watching God—a collection of remarkable stories, including eight “lost” Harlem Renaissance tales now available…
If Beale Street Could Talk
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Like the blues -- sweet, sad and full of truth -- this masterly work of fiction rocks us with powerful emotions. In it are anger and pain, but above all, love -- affirmative love of a woman for her man, the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- If Beale Street Could Talk has the widest readership — 88671 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick | If Beale Street Could Talk | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.3 (88671) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (11) | 4.3 (147) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (30) | 4.5 (406) |
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Reception
| Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick | If Beale Street Could Talk | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 30 | 88671 |
| Editions | 9 | 44 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 158 | 4433 |
| Pages | 192 | 197 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick or If Beale Street Could Talk?
If Beale Street Could Talk has the higher combined reader rating across sources (If Beale Street Could Talk 4.3/5, Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick or If Beale Street Could Talk?
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (192 pages, ≈ 3 h 33 m); If Beale Street Could Talk (197 pages, ≈ 3 h 39 m).
Which is harder to read: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick or If Beale Street Could Talk?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Moderate; If Beale Street Could Talk: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: no film adaptation on record; If Beale Street Could Talk: 4 film adaptations.