The Rainbow vs The Shipping News: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Domestic fiction, Family, Families, Fiction
The Rainbow
(Brangwen Family #1) Lush with imagery, this is the story of three generations of Brangwen women living during the decline of English rural life. Banned upon publication, it explores the most taboo subjects of its…
vs
The Shipping News
At thirty-six, Quoyle, a third-rate newspaperman, is wrenched violently out of his workaday life when his two-timing wife meets her just deserts. He retreats with his two daughters to his ancestral home on the starkly…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Rainbow is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for The Shipping News.
- The Shipping News has the widest readership — 155152 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Rainbow | The Shipping News | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (22002) | 3.9 (155152) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 5.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 3.5 (4) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (40) | 4.0 (311) |
Reception
| The Rainbow | The Shipping News | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 22002 | 155152 |
| Editions | 358 | 57 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 31401 | 70890 |
| Pages | 208 | 348 |