Shooting an Elephant and other essays vs The Defendant: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English essays, British and irish fiction, Essays, Nonfiction

Cover of Shooting an Elephant and other essays

Shooting an Elephant and other essays George Orwell · 1950 ★★★★☆ 4.0 206 pages · ≈ 3 h 49 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Defendant

The Defendant Gilbert Keith Chesterton · 1901 ★★★★☆ 4.1 53 pages · ≈ 59 min · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 4.1 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Defendant is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 3 for Shooting an Elephant and other essays.
Shooting an Elephant and other essays is the easier read (Moderate), The Defendant more demanding (Demanding).

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