How to Keep House While Drowning vs The Bell Jar: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mental Health, Adult, Psychology
How to Keep House While Drowning
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How to Keep House While Drowning will introduce you to six life-changing principles that will revolutionize the way you approach home care—without endless to-do lists. Presented in 31 daily thoughts, this compassionate…
The Bell Jar
“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.”
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The Bell Jar is the only novel written by American poet Sylvia Plath. It is an intensely realistic and emotional record of a successful and talented young woman's descent into madness.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Bell Jar highest: The Bell Jar 4.4 · How to Keep House While Drowning 4.2.
- How to Keep House While Drowning is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 5 for The Bell Jar.
- The Bell Jar has the widest readership — 555 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| How to Keep House While Drowning | The Bell Jar | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (45) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (239) | — |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | 4.5 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (116) | 4.5 (555) |
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Reception
| How to Keep House While Drowning | The Bell Jar | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 239 | 555 |
| Editions | 9 | 177 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 374 | — |
| Reading it now | 3 | — |
| Written reviews | 4 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 63950 |
| Pages | 161 | 272 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: How to Keep House While Drowning or The Bell Jar?
The Bell Jar has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Bell Jar 4.4/5, How to Keep House While Drowning 4.2/5).
Which is shorter to read: How to Keep House While Drowning or The Bell Jar?
How to Keep House While Drowning is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: How to Keep House While Drowning (161 pages, ≈ 2 h 59 m); The Bell Jar (272 pages, ≈ 5 h 02 m).
Which is harder to read: How to Keep House While Drowning or The Bell Jar?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — How to Keep House While Drowning: Moderate; The Bell Jar: Demanding.