Outlander vs The Pillars of the Earth: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Historical Fiction, History, Fiction

Cover of Outlander

Outlander Diana Gabaldon · 1991 ★★★★☆ 4.5 644 pages · ≈ 11 h 56 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett · 1989 ★★★★☆ 4.4 1040 pages · ≈ 19 h 16 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.5 vs 4.4 — either is a safe pick by score.
Outlander is the quicker read — about 11 hours vs 19 for The Pillars of the Earth.
Outlander is the easier read (Moderate), The Pillars of the Earth more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side