Ruth (volume II) vs The Newcomes: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Domestic fiction, British and irish fiction, England, Social life and customs, Fiction
Ruth (volume II)
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Ruth Volume 2 By Elizabeth Gaskell A sensitive portrayal of relationships within small towns and an exploration of seduction and illegitimacy within a small Dissenting community where tolerance and rigid morality clash.
The Newcomes
“A CROW, who had flown away with a cheese from a diary window, sate perched on a tree looking down at a great big frog in a pool underneath him.”
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The Newcomes is Thackeray's most essentially 'Victorian' novel, generous in its proportions, sharp in its criticism of the moral convolutions of the age, and encyclopaedic in its reference. Set in the 1830s and 1840s, a…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Ruth (volume II) highest: Ruth (volume II) 4.3 · The Newcomes 3.7.
- Ruth (volume II) is the quickest read — about 8 hours vs 14 for The Newcomes.
- The Newcomes has the widest readership — 275 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Ruth (volume II) | The Newcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.7 (275) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (67) | — |
Reception
| Ruth (volume II) | The Newcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 67 | 275 |
| Editions | 43 | 76 |
| Citations | — | 22 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 1026 |
| Written reviews | — | 29 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 382 |
| Pages | 458 | 801 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Ruth (volume II) or The Newcomes?
Ruth (volume II) has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Ruth (volume II) 4.3/5, The Newcomes 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Ruth (volume II) or The Newcomes?
Ruth (volume II) is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Ruth (volume II) (458 pages, ≈ 8 h 29 m); The Newcomes (801 pages, ≈ 14 h 50 m).
Which is harder to read: Ruth (volume II) or The Newcomes?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Ruth (volume II): Challenging; The Newcomes: Demanding.