The Count of Monte Cristo vs They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Classics
The Count of Monte Cristo
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Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only…
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
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"The depression of the 1930s led people to desperate measures to survive. The Marathon Dance Craze, which flourished at that time, seemed a simple way for people to earn extra money--dancing the hours away for cash.…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Count of Monte Cristo highest: The Count of Monte Cristo 4.5 · They Shoot Horses, Don't They? 3.8.
- They Shoot Horses, Don't They? has the widest readership — 12622 ratings behind its score.
- They Shoot Horses, Don't They? has the bigger screen life — 2 adaptations on record.
- They Shoot Horses, Don't They? runs the darker storyline; The Count of Monte Cristo stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Count of Monte Cristo | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (12622) |
| Hardcover | 4.4 (1585) | 3.5 (30) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (8) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (3190) | 4.0 (23) |
Reception
| The Count of Monte Cristo | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 3190 | 12622 |
| Editions | 3 | 15 |
| Citations | 1 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 2 |
| Want to read | — | 14026 |
| Reading it now | — | 252 |
| Written reviews | — | 1430 |
| Wikipedia attention | 120681 | 3625 |
| Pages | 242 | 319 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Count of Monte Cristo or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??
The Count of Monte Cristo has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Count of Monte Cristo 4.5/5, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Count of Monte Cristo or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??
The Count of Monte Cristo is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Count of Monte Cristo (242 pages, ≈ 4 h 29 m); They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (319 pages, ≈ 5 h 54 m).
Which is harder to read: The Count of Monte Cristo or They Shoot Horses, Don't They??
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Count of Monte Cristo: Challenging; They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
The Count of Monte Cristo: 5 film adaptations; They Shoot Horses, Don't They?: 1 film adaptation.