Lays of ancient Rome vs Marmion: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Poetry, History
Lays of ancient Rome
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Noteworthy among Macaulay's works are his poems, of which the 'Lays of Ancient Rome' are chief. Here his purpose is to embody his conception of the heroic historical ballads which must have been current among the early…
Marmion
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It is a poetry book. Sir Walter Scott’s love of the country induced him, after his marriage in 1797, to settle in a cottage at the pretty village of Lasswade, near Edinburgh. Four years after leaving this district he…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Lays of ancient Rome is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for Marmion.
- Marmion has the widest readership — 221 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Lays of ancient Rome | Marmion | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (7) | 3.8 (221) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (27) | — |
Reception
| Lays of ancient Rome | Marmion | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 27 | 221 |
| Editions | 176 | 75 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 4 | 1011 |
| Reading it now | — | 62 |
| Written reviews | 2 | 33 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3188 | 3984 |
| Pages | 95 | 295 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Lays of ancient Rome or Marmion?
Lays of ancient Rome has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Lays of ancient Rome 4.0/5, Marmion 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Lays of ancient Rome or Marmion?
Lays of ancient Rome is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Lays of ancient Rome (95 pages, ≈ 1 h 46 m); Marmion (295 pages, ≈ 5 h 28 m).
Which is harder to read: Lays of ancient Rome or Marmion?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Lays of ancient Rome: Demanding; Marmion: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Lays of ancient Rome: no film adaptation on record; Marmion: 2 film adaptations.