All the Light We Cannot See vs The Pillars of the Earth: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Historical Fiction, History, Fiction

Cover of All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr · 2014 ★★★★☆ 4.3 544 pages · ≈ 10 h 04 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett · 1989 ★★★★☆ 4.4 1040 pages · ≈ 19 h 16 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.3 vs 4.4 — either is a safe pick by score.
All the Light We Cannot See is the quicker read — about 10 hours vs 19 for The Pillars of the Earth.
All the Light We Cannot See is the easier read (Moderate), The Pillars of the Earth more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side