The Mayor of Casterbridge vs The Woodlanders: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Wessex, British and irish fiction, Drama, Fiction

Cover of The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge Thomas Hardy · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.9 Challenging Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Woodlanders

The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.9 419 pages · ≈ 7 h 46 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Mayor of Casterbridge is the easier read (Challenging), The Woodlanders more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side