Salammbô vs Vingt ans apres̀: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Historia, Continental european fiction, Histoire, Ficción, Historical Fiction, History

Cover of Salammbô

Salammbô Gustave Flaubert · 1863 ★★★★☆ 3.9 370 pages · ≈ 6 h 51 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Vingt ans apres̀

Vingt ans apres̀ Alexandre Dumas · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.8 754 pages · ≈ 13 h 58 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Salammbô is the quicker read — about 6 hours vs 13 for Vingt ans apres̀.
Salammbô is the easier read (Challenging), Vingt ans apres̀ more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side