Kim vs Ragged Dick: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Orphans in fiction, Boys, Orphans, History, Fiction

Kim Rudyard Kipling · 1901 ★★★★☆ 3.7 420 pages · ≈ 7 h 47 m · Challenging

Kim is Rudyard Kipling's story of an orphan born in colonial India and torn between love for his native India and the demands of Imperial loyalty to his Irish-English heritage and to the British Secret Service. Long…

1 film adaptation

Irish in fiction East and West Irish Spy Fiction

Find on Amazon More like this →

Ragged Dick Horatio Alger, Jr. · 1868 ★★★☆☆ 3.3 138 pages · ≈ 2 h 33 m · Challenging

"Ragged Dick" was contributed as a serial story to the pages of the Schoolmate, a well-known juvenile magazine, during the year 1867. While in course of publication, it was received with so many evidences of favor that…

Friendship in fiction Conduct of life

Find on Amazon More like this →

Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Kim highest: Kim 3.7 · Ragged Dick 3.3.
Ragged Dick is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for Kim.
Kim has the widest readership — 40787 ratings behind its score.
Kim runs the darker storyline; Ragged Dick stays the lighter read.

Kim: Check price →Ragged Dick: Check price →

Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? Ragged Dick ≈ 2h vs 7h for Kim Want the crowd-tested pick? Kim 40787 ratings vs 3055 for Ragged Dick Just want the better-reviewed one? Kim 3.7 vs 3.3 from readers In the mood for something dark? Kim a darker storyline than Ragged Dick Want something lighter? Ragged Dick an easier tone than Kim

Scores by source

	Kim	Ragged Dick
Goodreads	3.7 (40787)	3.3 (3055)
Hardcover	3.4 (60)	2.5 (4)
Apple Books	4.0 (15)	5.0 (8)
	Check price →	Check price →

Reception

	Kim	Ragged Dick
Ratings	40787	3055
Editions	65	201
Citations	20	—
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	41072	1584
Reading it now	3	161
Written reviews	2676	408
Wikipedia attention	9103	1186
Pages	420	138
	Check price →	Check price →

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Kim or Ragged Dick?

Kim has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Kim 3.7/5, Ragged Dick 3.3/5).

Which is shorter to read: Kim or Ragged Dick?

Ragged Dick is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Ragged Dick (138 pages, ≈ 2 h 33 m); Kim (420 pages, ≈ 7 h 47 m).

Which is harder to read: Kim or Ragged Dick?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Kim: Challenging; Ragged Dick: Challenging.

Have both books been made into films?

Kim: 1 film adaptation; Ragged Dick: no film adaptation on record.