Of time and the river vs Sophie's Choice: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Young men, Bildungsromans, Fiction

Cover of Of time and the river

Of time and the river Thomas Wolfe · 1935 ★★★★☆ 4.2 912 pages · ≈ 16 h 53 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Sophie's Choice

Sophie's Choice William Styron · 1979 ★★★★☆ 4.2 624 pages · ≈ 11 h 33 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.2 vs 4.2 — either is a safe pick by score.
Sophie's Choice is the quicker read — about 11 hours vs 16 for Of time and the river.
Sophie's Choice is the easier read (Moderate), Of time and the river more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side