The Black Robe vs The well-beloved: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: British and irish fiction, Romance & Relationships, England, Fiction
The Black Robe
“THE doctors could do no more for the Dowager Lady Berrick.”
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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 well-beloved
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Jocelyn Pierston, a sculptor of growing fame, is determined to find his ideal in womanhood, a quest that has led to many fruitless encounters. For just as it seems he has found his heart's desire, disillusionment sets…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The well-beloved has the widest readership — 2361 ratings behind its score.
- The well-beloved reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 15 times.
Scores by source
| The Black Robe | The well-beloved | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (812) | 3.6 (2361) |
| Hardcover | 2.0 (2) | 3.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (28) | 4.5 (16) |
Reception
| The Black Robe | The well-beloved | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 812 | 2361 |
| Editions | 303 | 71 |
| Citations | 9 | 15 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 851 | 3556 |
| Reading it now | — | 117 |
| Written reviews | 97 | 231 |
| Wikipedia attention | 214 | 722 |
| Pages | 318 | 217 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Black Robe or The well-beloved?
The Black Robe has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Black Robe 3.7/5, The well-beloved 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Black Robe or The well-beloved?
The well-beloved is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The well-beloved (217 pages, ≈ 4 h 01 m); The Black Robe (318 pages, ≈ 5 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: The Black Robe or The well-beloved?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Black Robe: Demanding; The well-beloved: Challenging.