Mr. Standfast vs The Runagates Club: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: World War I, Intelligence service, World War, Great Britain, Spy Fiction, Fiction
Mr. Standfast
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Published in 1919, Mr. Standfast is a thriller set in the latter half of the First World War, and the third of John Buchan’s books to feature Richard Hannay. Richard Hannay is called back from serving in France to take…
The Runagates Club
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John Buchan’s The Runagates Club is a classic of British interwar short fiction. These twelve stories appeared from 1913 to 1927, when he was at the peak of his powers, and feature Richard Hannay, Edward Leithen, and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Mr. Standfast has the widest readership — 2112 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Mr. Standfast | The Runagates Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (2112) | 3.8 (15) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (6) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (31) | — |
Reception
| Mr. Standfast | The Runagates Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2112 | 15 |
| Editions | 437 | 67 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1870 | 94 |
| Reading it now | 192 | — |
| Written reviews | 217 | 15 |
| Wikipedia attention | 629 | 71 |
| Pages | 319 | 342 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Mr. Standfast or The Runagates Club?
Mr. Standfast has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Mr. Standfast 3.9/5, The Runagates Club 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Mr. Standfast or The Runagates Club?
Mr. Standfast is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Mr. Standfast (319 pages, ≈ 5 h 54 m); The Runagates Club (342 pages, ≈ 6 h 20 m).
Which is harder to read: Mr. Standfast or The Runagates Club?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Mr. Standfast: Challenging; The Runagates Club: Challenging.