The Custom of the Country vs The judgment of Paris: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Upper class, Paris, Americans, Fiction

The Custom of the Country Edith Wharton · 1900 ★★★★☆ 4.1 614 pages · ≈ 11 h 22 m · Challenging

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…

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The judgment of Paris Gore Vidal · 1952 ★★★★☆ 3.8 353 pages · ≈ 6 h 32 m · Moderate

In post-war Europe, fresh-out-of-law-school Philip Warren takes a year to discover his future. In this classic coming-of-age story, Philip journeys through various affairs, misadventures, and cities full of…

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate The Custom of the Country highest: The Custom of the Country 4.1 · The judgment of Paris 3.8.
The judgment of Paris 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.
The judgment of Paris runs the darker storyline; The Custom of the Country stays the lighter read.

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The judgment of Paris ≈ 6h vs 11h for The Custom of the Country New to the genre? The judgment of Paris Moderate vs Challenging for The Custom of the Country In the mood for something dark? The judgment of Paris a darker storyline than The Custom of the Country Want something lighter? The Custom of the Country an easier tone than The judgment of Paris

Scores by source

	The Custom of the Country	The judgment of Paris
Goodreads	4.1 (17033)	3.9 (14630)
Hardcover	4.0 (24)	4.0 (3)
Apple Books	4.5 (8)	—
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Reception

	The Custom of the Country	The judgment of Paris
Ratings	17033	14630
Editions	94	17
Citations	1	—
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	44860	25948
Reading it now	2173	431
Written reviews	2155	424
Wikipedia attention	16918	—
Pages	614	353
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: The Custom of the Country or The judgment of Paris?

The Custom of the Country has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Custom of the Country 4.1/5, The judgment of Paris 3.8/5).

Which is shorter to read: The Custom of the Country or The judgment of Paris?

The judgment of Paris is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The judgment of Paris (353 pages, ≈ 6 h 32 m); The Custom of the Country (614 pages, ≈ 11 h 22 m).

Which is harder to read: The Custom of the Country or The judgment of Paris?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Custom of the Country: Challenging; The judgment of Paris: Moderate.