A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man vs The Magicians: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Manuscripts, Psychological fiction, Coming-of-age, Drama, Fiction
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Stephen Dedalus grows up in Dublin, feeling different from the other boys. His childhood and adolescence are shaped by bullying, his father's weaknesses and the growing realization that in order to make his way in the…
1 film adaptation
vs
The Magicians
A thrilling and original coming-of- age novel about a young man practicing magic in the real worldQuentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 7 for The Magicians.
- The Magicians has the widest readership — 282415 ratings behind its score.
- The Magicians runs the darker storyline; A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
≈ 4h vs 7h for The Magicians
New to the genre?
The Magicians
Moderate vs Demanding for A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
In the mood for something dark?
The Magicians
a darker storyline than A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Want something lighter?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
an easier tone than The Magicians
Scores by source
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | The Magicians | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (167858) | 3.5 (282415) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (300) | 3.5 (2) |
| Google Books | 3.5 (3) | 4.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (31) | 4.0 (1612) |
Reception
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | The Magicians | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 167858 | 282415 |
| Editions | 765 | 16 |
| Citations | 256 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 178390 | 266865 |
| Reading it now | — | 13763 |
| Written reviews | 9911 | 27148 |
| Wikipedia attention | 17085 | 4270 |
| Pages | 216 | 402 |