Irma Voth vs The bent twig: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Young women, Bildungsromans, Families, Fiction

Irma Voth Miriam Toews · 2011 ★★★★☆ 3.6 272 pages · ≈ 5 h 02 m · Moderate

The stifling, reclusive life of nineteen-year-old Irma Voth, recently married and more recently deserted, is turned on its head when a film crew moves in to make a movie about the strict religious community in which she…

Mexico Dysfunctional families Fathers and daughters Self-actualization

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The bent twig Dorothy Canfield Fisher · 1915 ★★★★☆ 3.9 480 pages · ≈ 8 h 53 m · Challenging

“LIKE most happy childhoods, Sylvia's early years lay back of her in a long, cheerful procession of featureless days, the outlines of which were blurred into one shimmering glow by the very radiance of their sunshine.”

Unlike other young women of her generation, who were "bred up from childhood to sit behind tea-tables and say the right things to tea-drinkers," Sylvia Marshall - the "twig" of this novel - was reared to think for…

Family

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate The bent twig highest: The bent twig 3.9 · Irma Voth 3.6.
Irma Voth is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 8 for The bent twig.
Irma Voth has the widest readership — 5007 ratings behind its score.
Irma Voth runs the darker storyline; The bent twig stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? Irma Voth ≈ 5h vs 8h for The bent twig New to the genre? Irma Voth Moderate vs Challenging for The bent twig In the mood for something dark? Irma Voth a darker storyline than The bent twig Want something lighter? The bent twig an easier tone than Irma Voth

Scores by source

	Irma Voth	The bent twig
Goodreads	3.6 (5007)	3.8 (104)
Hardcover	3.3 (3)	3.0 (1)
Apple Books	—	4.5 (5)

Reception

	Irma Voth	The bent twig
Ratings	5007	104
Editions	8	17
Film adaptations	1	—
Want to read	6310	265
Reading it now	158	23
Written reviews	588	29
Wikipedia attention	152	—
Pages	272	480

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Irma Voth or The bent twig?

The bent twig has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The bent twig 3.9/5, Irma Voth 3.6/5).

Which is shorter to read: Irma Voth or The bent twig?

Irma Voth is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Irma Voth (272 pages, ≈ 5 h 02 m); The bent twig (480 pages, ≈ 8 h 53 m).

Which is harder to read: Irma Voth or The bent twig?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Irma Voth: Moderate; The bent twig: Challenging.