The Blue Flame vs The progress of Julius: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Thriller

The Blue Flame George Pelecanos ★★★★☆ 4.3 176 pages · ≈ 3 h 16 m · Moderate

Private investigator Derek Strange returns in a riveting drama about revenge, greed, and redemption—from bestselling author and Emmy-nominated writer for HBO’s The Wire and Treme, George Pelecanos. He was curious. It…

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The progress of Julius Daphne du Maurier · 1933 ★★★★☆ 3.9 308 pages · ≈ 5 h 42 m · Challenging

A chilling story of ambition, Daphne du Maurier's third novel has lost none of its ability to unsettle and disturb. Julius Lévy has grown up in a peasant family in a village on the banks of the Seine. A quick-witted…

Fiction

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate The Blue Flame highest: The Blue Flame 4.3 · The progress of Julius 3.9.
The Blue Flame is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for The progress of Julius.
The Blue Flame has the widest readership — 191 ratings behind its score.
The Blue Flame runs the darker storyline; The progress of Julius stays the lighter read.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The Blue Flame ≈ 3h vs 5h for The progress of Julius New to the genre? The Blue Flame Moderate vs Challenging for The progress of Julius In the mood for something dark? The Blue Flame a darker storyline than The progress of Julius Want something lighter? The progress of Julius an easier tone than The Blue Flame

Scores by source

	The Blue Flame	The progress of Julius
Goodreads	4.3 (191)	—
Hardcover	4.5 (1)	—
Apple Books	4.5 (47)	—

Reception

	The Blue Flame	The progress of Julius
Ratings	191	2
Editions	—	21
Citations	—	2
Film adaptations	1	—
Want to read	4301	—
Reading it now	57	—
Written reviews	45	—
Wikipedia attention	106	—
Pages	176	308

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: The Blue Flame or The progress of Julius?

The Blue Flame has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Blue Flame 4.3/5, The progress of Julius 3.9/5).

Which is shorter to read: The Blue Flame or The progress of Julius?

The Blue Flame is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Blue Flame (176 pages, ≈ 3 h 16 m); The progress of Julius (308 pages, ≈ 5 h 42 m).

Which is harder to read: The Blue Flame or The progress of Julius?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Blue Flame: Moderate; The progress of Julius: Challenging.