Severed vs The private diary of Lyle Menendez: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Case studies, True Crime, Murder
Severed
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The Black Dahlia murder hit post-War Los Angeles like a bombshell . . . an impenetrable mystery—the haunting crown jewel of LAPD’s “unsolved” murders. Even before her savage death, beautiful 22-year-old Elizabeth Short,…
The private diary of Lyle Menendez
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The personal story of Lyle Menendez is based on a four-and-a-half-year intimate correspondence with the author and covers the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez by Lyle and his brother Erik and the court trials that…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The private diary of Lyle Menendez highest: The private diary of Lyle Menendez 4.1 · Severed 3.7.
- Severed has the widest readership — 1785 ratings behind its score.
- Severed runs the darker storyline; The private diary of Lyle Menendez stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Severed | The private diary of Lyle Menendez | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (1785) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.0 (1) | — |
| Google Books | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (23) | — |
Reception
| Severed | The private diary of Lyle Menendez | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1785 | 13 |
| Editions | 5 | 6 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 2133 | — |
| Reading it now | 117 | — |
| Written reviews | 125 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 83 | — |
| Pages | 237 | 263 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Severed or The private diary of Lyle Menendez?
The private diary of Lyle Menendez has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The private diary of Lyle Menendez 4.1/5, Severed 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Severed or The private diary of Lyle Menendez?
Severed is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Severed (237 pages, ≈ 4 h 23 m); The private diary of Lyle Menendez (263 pages, ≈ 4 h 52 m).
Which is harder to read: Severed or The private diary of Lyle Menendez?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Severed: Moderate; The private diary of Lyle Menendez: Moderate.