Middlemarch vs The Sacred and Profane Love Machine: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Women authors, Married people, Fiction
Middlemarch
“Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.”
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Eliot’s epic of 19th century provincial social life, set in a fictitious Midlands town in the years 1830-32, has several interlocking storylines blended effortlessly together to form a fully coherent narrative. Its main…
The Sacred and Profane Love Machine
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This is a story of different loves; and of how a man may need two women in such a way that he can be happy with neither. Sacred and profane love are related opposites; the one enjoyed renders the other necessary, so…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Sacred and Profane Love Machine is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 14 for Middlemarch.
- Middlemarch has the widest readership — 186364 ratings behind its score.
- The Sacred and Profane Love Machine runs the darker storyline; Middlemarch stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Middlemarch | The Sacred and Profane Love Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (186364) | 3.9 (1708) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (226) | 3.8 (3) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (9) | — |
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Reception
| Middlemarch | The Sacred and Profane Love Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 186364 | 1708 |
| Editions | 329 | 26 |
| Citations | 41 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 6 | 2378 |
| Reading it now | — | 87 |
| Written reviews | 1 | 203 |
| Wikipedia attention | 38735 | 245 |
| Pages | 795 | 365 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Middlemarch or The Sacred and Profane Love Machine?
Middlemarch has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Middlemarch 4.1/5, The Sacred and Profane Love Machine 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Middlemarch or The Sacred and Profane Love Machine?
The Sacred and Profane Love Machine is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Sacred and Profane Love Machine (365 pages, ≈ 6 h 46 m); Middlemarch (795 pages, ≈ 14 h 43 m).
Which is harder to read: Middlemarch or The Sacred and Profane Love Machine?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Middlemarch: Demanding; The Sacred and Profane Love Machine: Moderate.