The Invention of Hugo Cabret vs The Phantom Tollbooth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
“THE STORY I AM ABOUT TO SHARE with you takes place in 1931, under the roofs of Paris.”
ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl…
1 film adaptation
vs
The Phantom Tollbooth
“There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself-not just sometimes, but always.”
The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It was published in 1961 by Random House (USA). It tells the story of a bored young boy named…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Phantom Tollbooth is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 9 for The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
- The Phantom Tollbooth has the widest readership — 312947 ratings behind its score.
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret runs the darker storyline; The Phantom Tollbooth stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Invention of Hugo Cabret | The Phantom Tollbooth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (191444) | 4.2 (312947) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (240) | 4.2 (556) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (9) | 5.0 (3) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (103) | 4.5 (1504) |
Reception
| The Invention of Hugo Cabret | The Phantom Tollbooth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 191444 | 312947 |
| Editions | 16 | 64 |
| Citations | 57 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 96649 | 143090 |
| Reading it now | 2028 | 7390 |
| Written reviews | 17035 | 15691 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4839 | 10744 |
| Pages | 534 | 255 |