The Family vs The Nonesuch: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Nobility, Social life and customs, Historical Fiction, Fiction
The Family
“The golden rays of the summer sun warmed the cobblestone streets of Rome as Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia walked briskly from the Vatican to the three-story stucco house on the Piazza de Merlo where he'd come to claim three of his young children: his sons Cesare and Juan and his daughter Lucrezia, flesh of his flesh, blood of his blood.”
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What is a family? Mario Puzo first answered that question, unforgettably, in his landmark bestseller The Godfather; with the creation of the Corleones he forever redefined the concept of blood loyalty. Now, thirty years…
The Nonesuch
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At the age of five-and-thirty, Sir Waldo Hawkridge, wealthy, handsome, eligible, illustrious, and known as the nonesuch for his athletic prowess, and when he comes north to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom hall…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Nonesuch highest: The Nonesuch 4.1 · The Family 3.8.
- The Nonesuch is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 7 for The Family.
- The Nonesuch has the widest readership — 12895 ratings behind its score.
- The Family runs the darker storyline; The Nonesuch stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Family | The Nonesuch | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.1 (12895) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (25) | 3.7 (21) |
| Google Books | 3.0 (1) | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (7) | 4.5 (10) |
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Reception
| The Family | The Nonesuch | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 25 | 12895 |
| Editions | 40 | 30 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 4340 |
| Reading it now | — | 665 |
| Written reviews | — | 1021 |
| Wikipedia attention | 2497 | 281 |
| Pages | 418 | 300 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Family or The Nonesuch?
The Nonesuch has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Nonesuch 4.1/5, The Family 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Family or The Nonesuch?
The Nonesuch is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Nonesuch (300 pages, ≈ 5 h 33 m); The Family (418 pages, ≈ 7 h 44 m).
Which is harder to read: The Family or The Nonesuch?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Family: Moderate; The Nonesuch: Moderate.