Prayers for rain vs Up the Line: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Fiction

Prayers for rain Dennis Lehane · 1999 ★★★★☆ 4.1 478 pages · ≈ 8 h 51 m · Moderate

The master of the new noir, Dennis Lehane delivers a shattering tale of evil, depravity, and justice that captures the dark realism of Boston’s gritty blue-collar streets.Private Investigator Patrick Kenzie wants to…

Male authors Psychopaths Suicide victims Massachusetts

Find on Amazon More like this →

Up the Line Robert Silverberg · 1969 ★★★★☆ 3.7 250 pages · ≈ 4 h 38 m · Light

Being a Time Courier was one of the best jobs Judson Daniel Elliott III ever had. It was tricky, though, taking group after group of tourists back to the same historic event, without meeting yourself coming or going.…

Young Adult Science Fiction

Find on Amazon More like this →

Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Prayers for rain highest: Prayers for rain 4.1 · Up the Line 3.7.
Up the Line is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for Prayers for rain.
Prayers for rain has the widest readership — 24714 ratings behind its score.
Prayers for rain runs the darker storyline; Up the Line stays the lighter read.

Prayers for rain: Check price →Up the Line: Check price →

Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? Up the Line ≈ 4h vs 8h for Prayers for rain Want the crowd-tested pick? Prayers for rain 24714 ratings vs 2147 for Up the Line Just want the better-reviewed one? Prayers for rain 4.1 vs 3.7 from readers New to the genre? Up the Line Light vs Moderate for Prayers for rain In the mood for something dark? Prayers for rain a darker storyline than Up the Line

Scores by source

	Prayers for rain	Up the Line
Goodreads	4.1 (24714)	3.7 (2147)
Hardcover	4.0 (1)	3.0 (10)
Google Books	4.0 (2)	—
Apple Books	4.5 (333)	3.5 (25)
	Check price →	Check price →

Reception

	Prayers for rain	Up the Line
Ratings	24714	2147
Editions	34	18
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	7824	—
Reading it now	1100	—
Written reviews	1108	—
Wikipedia attention	519	300
Pages	478	250
	Check price →	Check price →

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Prayers for rain or Up the Line?

Prayers for rain has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Prayers for rain 4.1/5, Up the Line 3.7/5).

Which is shorter to read: Prayers for rain or Up the Line?

Up the Line is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Up the Line (250 pages, ≈ 4 h 38 m); Prayers for rain (478 pages, ≈ 8 h 51 m).

Which is harder to read: Prayers for rain or Up the Line?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Prayers for rain: Moderate; Up the Line: Light.