On Chesil Beach vs The Black Robe: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: British and irish fiction, Romance & Relationships, England, English literature, Fiction
On Chesil Beach
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A novel of remarkable depth and poignancy from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time.It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will…
The Black Robe
“THE doctors could do no more for the Dowager Lady Berrick.”
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The Black Robe is an 1881 partially-epistolary novel by famed English writer, Wilkie Collins. The book, which relates the misadventures of one "Lewis Romayne", is noted for its anti-Catholic lens.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- On Chesil Beach is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for The Black Robe.
- On Chesil Beach has the widest readership — 105405 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| On Chesil Beach | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (105405) | 3.7 (812) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (160) | 2.0 (2) |
| Google Books | 3.0 (7) | — |
| Apple Books | 3.5 (196) | 4.0 (28) |
Reception
| On Chesil Beach | The Black Robe | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 105405 | 812 |
| Editions | 30 | 303 |
| Citations | — | 9 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 851 |
| Written reviews | — | 97 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7792 | 214 |
| Pages | 195 | 318 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: On Chesil Beach or The Black Robe?
The Black Robe has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Black Robe 3.7/5, On Chesil Beach 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: On Chesil Beach or The Black Robe?
On Chesil Beach is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: On Chesil Beach (195 pages, ≈ 3 h 37 m); The Black Robe (318 pages, ≈ 5 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: On Chesil Beach or The Black Robe?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — On Chesil Beach: Moderate; The Black Robe: Demanding.