The hours vs The Wings of the Dove: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Terminally ill in fiction, Terminally ill, Women, Romance, Fiction

The hours Michael Cunningham · 1998 ★★★★☆ 4.0 230 pages · ≈ 4 h 16 m · Moderate

A daring, deeply affecting third novel by the author of A Home at the End of the World and Flesh and Blood. In The Hours, Michael Cunningham, widely praised as one of the most gifted writers of his generation, draws…

1 film adaptation

Man-woman relationships in fiction Women in fiction Relations entre hommes et femmes Roman américain

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The Wings of the Dove Henry James · 1902 ★★★★☆ 3.8 457 pages · ≈ 8 h 28 m · Challenging

“SHE waited, Kate Croy, for her father to come in, but he kept her unconscionably, and there were moments at which she showed herself, in the glass over the mantel, a face positively pale with the irritation that had brought her to the point of going away without sight of him.”

Beautiful Kate Croy may have been left penniless by her relatives, but her bold, ambitious nature ensures she will not succumb meekly to a life of poverty. If the financial circumstances of Merton Densher, the man she…

1 film adaptation

Young women in fiction Americans in fiction Triangles Americans

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Side by side

The verdict

Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
The hours is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for The Wings of the Dove.
The hours has the widest readership — 151462 ratings behind its score.
The hours runs the darker storyline; The Wings of the Dove stays the lighter read.

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The hours ≈ 4h vs 8h for The Wings of the Dove Want the crowd-tested pick? The hours 151462 ratings vs 17746 for The Wings of the Dove New to the genre? The hours Moderate vs Challenging for The Wings of the Dove In the mood for something dark? The hours a darker storyline than The Wings of the Dove Want something lighter? The Wings of the Dove an easier tone than The hours

Scores by source

	The hours	The Wings of the Dove
Goodreads	4.0 (151462)	3.8 (17746)
Hardcover	3.9 (161)	3.2 (8)
Apple Books	4.0 (220)	3.5 (6)
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Reception

	The hours	The Wings of the Dove
Ratings	151462	17746
Editions	38	60
Citations	—	4
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	104609	31731
Reading it now	3077	802
Written reviews	7676	893
Wikipedia attention	4192	3111
Pages	230	457
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: The hours or The Wings of the Dove?

The hours has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The hours 4.0/5, The Wings of the Dove 3.8/5).

Which is shorter to read: The hours or The Wings of the Dove?

The hours is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The hours (230 pages, ≈ 4 h 16 m); The Wings of the Dove (457 pages, ≈ 8 h 28 m).

Which is harder to read: The hours or The Wings of the Dove?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The hours: Moderate; The Wings of the Dove: Challenging.

Have both books been made into films?

The hours: 2 film adaptations; The Wings of the Dove: 3 film adaptations.