The Heart is a Lonely Hunter vs Their Eyes Were Watching God: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Allegories, Psychological fiction, Romance, Fiction
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
“IN THE town there were two mutes, and they were always together.”
Set in 1930s Georgia, the novel centers around a deaf and mute man, John Singer. Singer has been devastated by the loss of his dear friend, Antonapoulos, who was committed to an asylum for bad behavior
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is a classic Harlem Renaissance novel by American writer Zora Neale Hurston. The novel follows Janie Crawford as she recounts the story of her life as she journeys from a naive…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Their Eyes Were Watching God has the widest readership — 399522 ratings behind its score.
- Their Eyes Were Watching God runs the darker storyline; The Heart is a Lonely Hunter stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Their Eyes Were Watching God
399522 ratings vs 123492 for The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
In the mood for something dark?
Their Eyes Were Watching God
a darker storyline than The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Want something lighter?
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
an easier tone than Their Eyes Were Watching God
Scores by source
| The Heart is a Lonely Hunter | Their Eyes Were Watching God | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (123492) | 4.0 (399522) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (158) | 3.9 (454) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (17) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (80) | 4.5 (102) |
Reception
| The Heart is a Lonely Hunter | Their Eyes Were Watching God | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 123492 | 399522 |
| Editions | 64 | 66 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 778 | 377138 |
| Reading it now | 14 | 16188 |
| Written reviews | 20 | 25774 |
| Wikipedia attention | 8434 | 19909 |
| Pages | 320 | 219 |