The Black Robe vs The Guilty River: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: British and irish fiction, Classic Literature, Mystery, Fiction
The Black Robe
“THE doctors could do no more for the Dowager Lady Berrick.”
More
The Black Robe is an 1881 partially-epistolary novel by famed English writer, Wilkie Collins. The book, which relates the misadventures of one "Lewis Romayne", is noted for its anti-Catholic lens.
The Guilty River
More
During his lifetime, British fiction writer Wilkie Collins came to rival Charles Dickens in popularity and critical acclaim. Like Dickens, Collins often gravitated toward characters who overcame significant obstacles to…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Black Robe highest: The Black Robe 3.7 · The Guilty River 3.3.
- The Guilty River is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 5 for The Black Robe.
- The Black Robe has the widest readership — 812 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Black Robe | The Guilty River | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (812) | 3.3 (419) |
| Hardcover | 2.0 (2) | 1.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (28) | 4.0 (8) |
Reception
| The Black Robe | The Guilty River | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 812 | 419 |
| Editions | 303 | 126 |
| Citations | 9 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 851 | 334 |
| Reading it now | — | 13 |
| Written reviews | 97 | 61 |
| Wikipedia attention | 214 | — |
| Pages | 318 | 124 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Black Robe or The Guilty River?
The Black Robe has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Black Robe 3.7/5, The Guilty River 3.3/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Black Robe or The Guilty River?
The Guilty River is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Guilty River (124 pages, ≈ 2 h 18 m); The Black Robe (318 pages, ≈ 5 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: The Black Robe or The Guilty River?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Black Robe: Demanding; The Guilty River: Demanding.