Life of Samuel Johnson vs Paul Kelver: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English Authors, Authors, Biography & Memoir

Cover of Life of Samuel Johnson

Life of Samuel Johnson James Boswell · 1776 ★★★★☆ 3.8 567 pages · ≈ 10 h 30 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Paul Kelver

Paul Kelver Jerome Klapka Jérôme · 1902 ★★★★☆ 3.8 322 pages · ≈ 5 h 58 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Paul Kelver is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 10 for Life of Samuel Johnson.
Paul Kelver is the easier read (Challenging), Life of Samuel Johnson more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side