The Custom of the Country vs The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Remarried people, Divorced people, Fiction
The Custom of the Country
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Edith Wharton's satiric anatomy of American society in the first decade of the twentieth century appeared in 1913; it both appalled and fascinated its first reviewers, and established her as a major novelist. It follows…
The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story
“NOT far from the source of the famous river, which rises in the mountains between Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond, and divides the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland, travellers arrive at the venerable grey walls of Mount Morven; and, after consulting their guide books, ask permission to see the house.”
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Unlike his usual style, this is a novel of conscience, without much melodrama; Collins weaves a story of what he delicately calls "sexual frailty." Trapped in an adulterous union, neither of two involved are happy in…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Custom of the Country highest: The Custom of the Country 4.1 · The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story 3.8.
- The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 11 for The Custom of the Country.
- The Custom of the Country has the widest readership — 17033 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Custom of the Country | The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (17033) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (24) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (8) | — |
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Reception
| The Custom of the Country | The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 17033 | 1 |
| Editions | 94 | 103 |
| Citations | 1 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 44860 | — |
| Reading it now | 2173 | — |
| Written reviews | 2155 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 16918 | — |
| Pages | 614 | 328 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Custom of the Country or The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story?
The Custom of the Country has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Custom of the Country 4.1/5, The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Custom of the Country or The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story?
The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story (328 pages, ≈ 6 h 04 m); The Custom of the Country (614 pages, ≈ 11 h 22 m).
Which is harder to read: The Custom of the Country or The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Custom of the Country: Challenging; The Evil Genius. A Domestis Story: Challenging.