The Glass Palace vs The Shadow Lines: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: India, Domestic fiction, Fiction
The Glass Palace
Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the…
vs
The Shadow Lines
This book is an excellent example of a unique narrative which most books lack. According to many literary sources this book do not intend to tell a story but rather invites the reader to invent one. The book have so…
The verdict
- Readers rate The Glass Palace highest: The Glass Palace 4.3 · The Shadow Lines 3.9.
- The Shadow Lines is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 10 for The Glass Palace.
- The Glass Palace has the widest readership — 1406392 ratings behind its score.
- The Shadow Lines runs the darker storyline; The Glass Palace stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Shadow Lines
≈ 4h vs 10h for The Glass Palace
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Glass Palace
1406392 ratings vs 9203 for The Shadow Lines
Just want the better-reviewed one?
The Glass Palace
4.3 vs 3.9 from readers
In the mood for something dark?
The Shadow Lines
a darker storyline than The Glass Palace
Want something lighter?
The Glass Palace
an easier tone than The Shadow Lines
Scores by source
| The Glass Palace | The Shadow Lines | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (1406392) | 3.9 (9203) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (32) | — |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 5.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (76) | 4.0 (7) |
Reception
| The Glass Palace | The Shadow Lines | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1406392 | 9203 |
| Editions | 27 | 21 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 11251 |
| Reading it now | — | 736 |
| Written reviews | — | 726 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1847 | 2405 |
| Pages | 560 | 248 |