The Princess and the Goblin vs The Silmarillion: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fantasy, Fiction
The Princess and the Goblin
“There was once a little princess whose father was king over a great country full of mountains and valleys.”
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There was once a little princess whose father was king over a great country full of mountains and valleys. His palace was built upon one of the mountains, and was very grand and beautiful. The princess, whose name was…
The Silmarillion
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A number-one New York Times bestseller when it was originally published, The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a work whose origins stretch back to a time long before The Hobbit.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Princess and the Goblin is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for The Silmarillion.
- The Princess and the Goblin has the widest readership — 42695 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Princess and the Goblin | The Silmarillion | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (42695) | 4.0 (17402) |
| Hardcover | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 4.5 (18) |
| Apple Books | 5.0 (26) | 4.5 (331) |
Reception
| The Princess and the Goblin | The Silmarillion | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 42695 | 17402 |
| Editions | 750 | 156 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 40705 | 301760 |
| Reading it now | 2033 | 2 |
| Written reviews | 3381 | 17402 |
| Wikipedia attention | 5725 | 41743 |
| Pages | 199 | 374 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Princess and the Goblin or The Silmarillion?
The Silmarillion has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Silmarillion 4.0/5, The Princess and the Goblin 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Princess and the Goblin or The Silmarillion?
The Princess and the Goblin is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Princess and the Goblin (199 pages, ≈ 3 h 41 m); The Silmarillion (374 pages, ≈ 6 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: The Princess and the Goblin or The Silmarillion?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Princess and the Goblin: Challenging; The Silmarillion: Moderate.