The Line of Beauty vs The Painted Veil: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Married people, Psychological fiction, Domestic fiction, Fiction

Cover of The Line of Beauty

The Line of Beauty Alan Hollinghurst · 2004 ★★★★☆ 3.8 501 pages · ≈ 9 h 17 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil William Somerset Maugham · 1925 ★★★★☆ 4.0 238 pages · ≈ 4 h 24 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 4.0 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Painted Veil is the quicker read — about 4 hours vs 9 for The Line of Beauty.
The Line of Beauty is the easier read (Moderate), The Painted Veil more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side