The Life of Samuel Johnson vs The Magician: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Authors, English literature, Biography & Memoir
The Magician
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Stunningly rejacketed as part of a major reinvention of this neglected 20th century masterSet in the bohemian cafe society of Paris at the turn of the nineteenth century, Maugham's exploration of hypnotism and the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Magician has the widest readership — 21686 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Life of Samuel Johnson | The Magician | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (5424) | 4.0 (21686) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (51) |
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Reception
| The Life of Samuel Johnson | The Magician | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 5424 | 21686 |
| Editions | 103 | 313 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 12472 | 7085 |
| Reading it now | 1021 | 464 |
| Written reviews | 365 | 662 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4427 | 1034 |
| Pages | 408 | 310 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Life of Samuel Johnson or The Magician?
The Magician has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Magician 4.0/5, The Life of Samuel Johnson 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Life of Samuel Johnson or The Magician?
The Magician is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Magician (310 pages, ≈ 5 h 44 m); The Life of Samuel Johnson (408 pages, ≈ 7 h 33 m).
Which is harder to read: The Life of Samuel Johnson or The Magician?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Life of Samuel Johnson: Challenging; The Magician: Challenging.