The Quick and the Dead vs The unforgiven: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Western, Frontier and pioneer life, Westerns, Fiction
The Quick and the Dead
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When Duncan McKaskel decided to move his family west, he knew he would face dangers, and he was prepared for them. He knew about the exhausting terrain, and he was expecting the punishing elements. What he worried about…
The unforgiven
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In this epic American novel, which served as the basis for the classic film directed by John Huston, a family is torn apart when an old enemy starts a vicious rumor that sets the range aflame.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Quick and the Dead has the widest readership — 7104 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Quick and the Dead | The unforgiven | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (7104) | 4.1 (1946) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (10) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (126) | — |
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Reception
| The Quick and the Dead | The unforgiven | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 7104 | 1946 |
| Editions | 18 | 13 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7124 | 10123 |
| Pages | 185 | 277 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Quick and the Dead or The unforgiven?
The unforgiven has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The unforgiven 4.1/5, The Quick and the Dead 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Quick and the Dead or The unforgiven?
The Quick and the Dead is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Quick and the Dead (185 pages, ≈ 3 h 26 m); The unforgiven (277 pages, ≈ 5 h 08 m).
Which is harder to read: The Quick and the Dead or The unforgiven?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Quick and the Dead: Moderate; The unforgiven: Moderate.