Ruth (volume II) vs The Return of the Native: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Mothers and sons, Social conditions, Social life and customs, History

Cover of Ruth (volume II)

Ruth (volume II) Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell · 1853 ★★★★☆ 4.3 458 pages · ≈ 8 h 29 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Return of the Native

The Return of the Native Thomas Hardy · 1878 ★★★★☆ 3.9 257 pages · ≈ 4 h 46 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate Ruth (volume II) higher: 4.3 vs 3.9 from 67 votes.
The Return of the Native is the quicker read — about 4 hours vs 8 for Ruth (volume II).

Side by side