Outlander vs The Pillars of the Earth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Historical Fiction, History, Fiction
Outlander
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Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured…
The Pillars of the Earth
“IN A BROAD VALLEY, at the foot of a sloping hillside, beside a clear bubbling stream, Tom was building a house.”
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The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Set in the 12th century, the novel covers the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Outlander is the quickest read — about 11 hours vs 19 for The Pillars of the Earth.
- The Pillars of the Earth has the widest readership — 855879 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Outlander | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.3 (855879) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (872) | 4.2 (1034) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (10) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (5474) | 4.5 (3249) |
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Reception
| Outlander | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 5474 | 855879 |
| Editions | 50 | 111 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 598767 |
| Reading it now | — | 39803 |
| Written reviews | — | 43843 |
| Wikipedia attention | 6783 | 28093 |
| Pages | 644 | 1040 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Outlander or The Pillars of the Earth?
Outlander has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Outlander 4.4/5, The Pillars of the Earth 4.4/5).
Which is shorter to read: Outlander or The Pillars of the Earth?
Outlander is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Outlander (644 pages, ≈ 11 h 56 m); The Pillars of the Earth (1040 pages, ≈ 19 h 16 m).
Which is harder to read: Outlander or The Pillars of the Earth?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Outlander: Moderate; The Pillars of the Earth: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Outlander: no film adaptation on record; The Pillars of the Earth: 2 film adaptations.