Of time and the river vs The Cider House Rules: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Young men, Fiction

Of time and the river Thomas Wolfe · 1935 ★★★★☆ 4.2 912 pages · ≈ 16 h 53 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules John Irving · 1985 ★★★★☆ 4.3 568 pages · ≈ 10 h 31 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.2 vs 4.3 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Cider House Rules is the quicker read — about 10 hours vs 16 for Of time and the river.
The Cider House Rules is the easier read (Moderate), Of time and the river more demanding (Challenging).