Me Before You vs The Notebook: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Romance, Fiction
Me Before You
More
Louisa Clark is an ordinary young woman living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of…
The Notebook
More
A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. An achingly tender story about the enduring power of love. A man…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Notebook is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 9 for Me Before You.
- The Notebook has the widest readership — 1870610 ratings behind its score.
- Me Before You runs the darker storyline; The Notebook stays the lighter read.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Me Before You | The Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (1843072) | 4.2 (1870610) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (788) | 3.6 (525) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 4.5 (4) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (6896) | 4.5 (1722) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| Me Before You | The Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1843072 | 1870610 |
| Editions | 47 | 53 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 987644 | 715794 |
| Reading it now | 37040 | 13650 |
| Written reviews | 104823 | 30202 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7906 | 6509 |
| Pages | 512 | 256 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Me Before You or The Notebook?
Me Before You has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Me Before You 4.3/5, The Notebook 4.2/5).
Which is shorter to read: Me Before You or The Notebook?
The Notebook is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Notebook (256 pages, ≈ 4 h 44 m); Me Before You (512 pages, ≈ 9 h 29 m).
Which is harder to read: Me Before You or The Notebook?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Me Before You: Moderate; The Notebook: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Me Before You: 3 film adaptations; The Notebook: 3 film adaptations.