The Defendant vs The Magician: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English Authors, British and irish fiction, English literature, Fiction

Cover of The Defendant

The Defendant Gilbert Keith Chesterton · 1901 ★★★★☆ 4.1 53 pages · ≈ 59 min · Demanding Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Magician

The Magician William Somerset Maugham · 1908 ★★★★☆ 4.0 310 pages · ≈ 5 h 44 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.1 vs 4.0 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Defendant is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 5 for The Magician.
The Magician is the easier read (Challenging), The Defendant more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side