Intruder in the Dust vs The Souls of Black Folk: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Afro-Americans, Race Relations, African Americans, Criticism and interpretation, Fiction
Intruder in the Dust
Using his preferred stream-of-consciousness style the author tells a story of a black farmer in Mississippi accused of murdering a white man.
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The Souls of Black Folk
“BETWEEN me and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it.”
Du Bois' 1903 collection of essays is a thoughtful, articulate exploration of the moral and intellectual issues surrounding the perception of blacks within American society.
The verdict
- Readers rate The Souls of Black Folk highest: The Souls of Black Folk 4.3 · Intruder in the Dust 3.7.
- The Souls of Black Folk has the widest readership — 45888 ratings behind its score.
- Intruder in the Dust runs the darker storyline; The Souls of Black Folk stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Souls of Black Folk
45888 ratings vs 6496 for Intruder in the Dust
Just want the better-reviewed one?
The Souls of Black Folk
4.3 vs 3.7 from readers
In the mood for something dark?
Intruder in the Dust
a darker storyline than The Souls of Black Folk
Want something lighter?
The Souls of Black Folk
an easier tone than Intruder in the Dust
Scores by source
| Intruder in the Dust | The Souls of Black Folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (6496) | 4.3 (45888) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (8) | — |
| Google Books | — | 4.5 (3) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (13) | 4.5 (137) |
Reception
| Intruder in the Dust | The Souls of Black Folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 6496 | 45888 |
| Editions | 38 | 412 |
| Citations | — | 139 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 7307 | 86733 |
| Reading it now | 346 | 7561 |
| Written reviews | 634 | 2580 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1510 | 3479 |
| Pages | 247 | 232 |