Shirley vs The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Napoleonic wars, Historical Fiction, Fiction
Shirley
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Shirley, published in 1849, was Charlotte Brontë’s second novel after Jane Eyre. Published under her pseudonym of “Currer Bell,” it differs in several respects from that earlier work. It is written in the third person…
The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale
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The year is 1799. Admiral Caraccioli of Naples is about to be executed from the yard-arm of Lord Nelson’s flagship in the Mediterranean. Young and in love with Carccioli’s daughter, the spirited French privateer, Raoul…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale is the quickest read — about 9 hours vs 11 for Shirley.
- Shirley has the widest readership — 37677 ratings behind its score.
- Shirley runs the darker storyline; The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Shirley | The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (37677) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (34) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (25) | — |
Reception
| Shirley | The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 37677 | 1 |
| Editions | 536 | 85 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 70681 | — |
| Reading it now | 1867 | — |
| Written reviews | 2113 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 3898 | — |
| Pages | 640 | 487 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Shirley or The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale?
The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale 3.8/5, Shirley 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Shirley or The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale?
The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale (487 pages, ≈ 9 h 01 m); Shirley (640 pages, ≈ 11 h 51 m).
Which is harder to read: Shirley or The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Shirley: Demanding; The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Shirley: 1 film adaptation; The Wing-and-wing: Or, Le Feu-follet. A Tale: no film adaptation on record.