The Bell Jar vs The making of an American: Which Should You Read?

Cover of The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath · 1948 ★★★★☆ 4.4 272 pages · ≈ 5 h 02 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The making of an American

The making of an American Jacob A. Riis · 1656 ★★★★☆ 3.9 486 pages · ≈ 9 h 00 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate The Bell Jar higher: 4.4 vs 3.9 from 555 votes.
The Bell Jar is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 9 for The making of an American.

Side by side