A Game of Thrones vs The Pillars of the Earth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Epic Fiction, Epic literature, Fiction
A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones is the inaugural novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic series of fantasy novels crafted by the American author George R. R. Martin. Published on August 1, 1996, this novel introduces readers to the…
vs
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Set in the 12th century, the novel covers the…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Game of Thrones is the quickest read — about 15 hours vs 19 for The Pillars of the Earth.
- The Pillars of the Earth has the widest readership — 855879 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| A Game of Thrones | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.8 (591) | 4.3 (855879) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (4) | 4.2 (1034) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (6) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (2089) | 4.5 (3249) |
Reception
| A Game of Thrones | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2089 | 855879 |
| Editions | 136 | 111 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 169 | 598767 |
| Pages | 824 | 1040 |