Macbeth vs The Outsiders: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
Macbeth
“Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.”
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The play concerns a trusted general who secretly lusts for power. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and urged on by his ambitious wife Macbeth commits regicide. Left fearful and superstitious by this…
The Outsiders
“WHEN I STEPPED out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”
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According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser,…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Outsiders highest: The Outsiders 4.3 · Macbeth 3.5.
- Macbeth is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 3 for The Outsiders.
- Macbeth has the widest readership — 18773 ratings behind its score.
- Macbeth runs the darker storyline; The Outsiders stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Macbeth | The Outsiders | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (18773) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (1169) | 3.9 (1261) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 4.5 (5) |
| Apple Books | 3.5 (555) | 4.5 (3616) |
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Reception
| Macbeth | The Outsiders | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 18773 | 3616 |
| Editions | 1867 | 77 |
| Citations | 66 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 8761 | — |
| Reading it now | 325 | — |
| Written reviews | 190 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 485 | 28998 |
| Pages | 84 | 208 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Macbeth or The Outsiders?
The Outsiders has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Outsiders 4.3/5, Macbeth 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: Macbeth or The Outsiders?
Macbeth is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Macbeth (84 pages, ≈ 1 h 33 m); The Outsiders (208 pages, ≈ 3 h 51 m).
Which is harder to read: Macbeth or The Outsiders?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Macbeth: Challenging; The Outsiders: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Macbeth: no film adaptation on record; The Outsiders: 2 film adaptations.