Mary Barton vs Sons and Lovers: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Working class families, Social life and customs, Fiction

Cover of Mary Barton

Mary Barton Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell · 1848 ★★★★☆ 3.8 387 pages · ≈ 7 h 10 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of Sons and Lovers

Sons and Lovers D. H. Lawrence · 1913 ★★★★☆ 3.6 510 pages · ≈ 9 h 27 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.6 — either is a safe pick by score.
Mary Barton is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 9 for Sons and Lovers.
Sons and Lovers is the easier read (Challenging), Mary Barton more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side