Lays of ancient Rome vs Marius the Epicurean: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Rome

Cover of Lays of ancient Rome

Lays of ancient Rome Thomas Babington Macaulay · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.9 95 pages · ≈ 1 h 46 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of Marius the Epicurean

Marius the Epicurean Walter Pater · 1885 ★★★★☆ 3.6 370 pages · ≈ 6 h 51 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate Lays of ancient Rome higher: 3.9 vs 3.6 from 27 votes.
Lays of ancient Rome is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 6 for Marius the Epicurean.
Marius the Epicurean is the easier read (Challenging), Lays of ancient Rome more demanding (Demanding).

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