The Big Rock Candy Mountain vs The hanging tree: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: West, Westerns, Fiction
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Bo Mason, his wife, Elsa, and their two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless Bo seeks out his fortune—in the hotel business, in new…
vs
The hanging tree
Dorothy M. Johnson wrote dozens of highly acclaimed western stories and books in her long career. The stories in this book are her very best. They were ranked as four of the top five stories of the 20th century by the…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The hanging tree is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 10 for The Big Rock Candy Mountain.
- The Big Rock Candy Mountain has the widest readership — 9196 ratings behind its score.
- The Big Rock Candy Mountain runs the darker storyline; The hanging tree stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The hanging tree
≈ 5h vs 10h for The Big Rock Candy Mountain
New to the genre?
The hanging tree
Moderate vs Challenging for The Big Rock Candy Mountain
In the mood for something dark?
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
a darker storyline than The hanging tree
Want something lighter?
The hanging tree
an easier tone than The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Scores by source
| The Big Rock Candy Mountain | The hanging tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (9196) | 4.2 (577) |
| Hardcover | 4.5 (8) | 3.5 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (23) | — |
Reception
| The Big Rock Candy Mountain | The hanging tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 9196 | 577 |
| Editions | 19 | 9 |
| Citations | 40 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 11397 | 322 |
| Reading it now | 535 | 8 |
| Written reviews | 1184 | 55 |
| Wikipedia attention | 662 | 189 |
| Pages | 563 | 272 |