Plain tales from the hills vs The Shadow Lines: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: India, British, Fiction

Plain tales from the hills Rudyard Kipling · 1888 ★★★★☆ 3.7 194 pages · ≈ 3 h 36 m · Demanding

“SHE was the daughter of Sonoo, a Hill-man of the Himalayas, and Jadeh his wife.”

Originally written for the Lahore Civil and Military Gazette, the stories were intended for a provincial readership familiar with the pleasures and miseries of colonial life. For the subsequent English edition, Kipling…

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The Shadow Lines Amitav Ghosh · 1988 ★★★★☆ 3.9 248 pages · ≈ 4 h 36 m · Moderate

This book is an excellent example of a unique narrative which most books lack. According to many literary sources this book do not intend to tell a story but rather invites the reader to invent one. The book have so…

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Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
The Shadow Lines has the widest readership — 9203 ratings behind its score.
The Shadow Lines runs the darker storyline; Plain tales from the hills stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want the crowd-tested pick? The Shadow Lines 9203 ratings vs 1843 for Plain tales from the hills New to the genre? The Shadow Lines Moderate vs Demanding for Plain tales from the hills In the mood for something dark? The Shadow Lines a darker storyline than Plain tales from the hills Want something lighter? Plain tales from the hills an easier tone than The Shadow Lines

Scores by source

	Plain tales from the hills	The Shadow Lines
Goodreads	3.7 (1843)	3.9 (9203)
Hardcover	2.8 (4)	—
Google Books	—	5.0 (2)
Apple Books	4.5 (8)	4.0 (7)

Reception

	Plain tales from the hills	The Shadow Lines
Ratings	1843	9203
Editions	303	21
Citations	52	—
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	1631	11251
Reading it now	243	736
Written reviews	202	726
Wikipedia attention	488	2405
Pages	194	248

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Plain tales from the hills or The Shadow Lines?

The Shadow Lines has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Shadow Lines 3.9/5, Plain tales from the hills 3.7/5).

Which is shorter to read: Plain tales from the hills or The Shadow Lines?

Plain tales from the hills is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Plain tales from the hills (194 pages, ≈ 3 h 36 m); The Shadow Lines (248 pages, ≈ 4 h 36 m).

Which is harder to read: Plain tales from the hills or The Shadow Lines?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Plain tales from the hills: Demanding; The Shadow Lines: Moderate.