The Queen's gambit vs The secret wisdom of the earth: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Kentucky, Coming-of-age, Fiction
The Queen's gambit
Beth Harmon, an orphan by eight years old, is unremarkable. She is plain and she knows it. In the Kentucky orphanage, she hordes the tranquilizers handed to the children daily to quell the ache of dullness and…
vs
The secret wisdom of the earth
"After witnessing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, 14-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Queen's gambit is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for The secret wisdom of the earth.
- The Queen's gambit has the widest readership — 142368 ratings behind its score.
- The secret wisdom of the earth runs the darker storyline; The Queen's gambit stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Queen's gambit
≈ 4h vs 8h for The secret wisdom of the earth
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Queen's gambit
142368 ratings vs 9911 for The secret wisdom of the earth
In the mood for something dark?
The secret wisdom of the earth
a darker storyline than The Queen's gambit
Want something lighter?
The Queen's gambit
an easier tone than The secret wisdom of the earth
Scores by source
| The Queen's gambit | The secret wisdom of the earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (142368) | 4.1 (9911) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (300) | 3.6 (5) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (913) | 4.5 (12) |
Reception
| The Queen's gambit | The secret wisdom of the earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 142368 | 9911 |
| Editions | 24 | 8 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 132869 | 35148 |
| Reading it now | 8318 | 606 |
| Written reviews | 16596 | 1656 |
| Wikipedia attention | 5914 | — |
| Pages | 258 | 480 |