The Scarlet Letter vs Work: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: History, Fiction
The Scarlet Letter
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A stark and allegorical tale of adultery, guilt, and social repression in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne's exploration of the dichotomy between…
Work
“"AUNT BETSEY, there's going to be a new Declaration of Independence."”
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In this story of a woman's search for a meaningful life, Alcott moves outside the family setting of her best knows works. Originally published in 1872, Work is both an exploration of Alcott's personal conflicts and a…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Work highest: Work 3.7 · The Scarlet Letter 3.4.
- The Scarlet Letter is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 8 for Work.
- The Scarlet Letter has the widest readership — 939994 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Scarlet Letter | Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.4 (939994) | 3.7 (1191) |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (915) | 3.2 (4) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (4915) | 4.5 (30) |
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Reception
| The Scarlet Letter | Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 939994 | 1191 |
| Editions | 2425 | 92 |
| Citations | 52 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 504235 | 2407 |
| Reading it now | 22050 | 90 |
| Written reviews | 24933 | 164 |
| Wikipedia attention | 32543 | 2163 |
| Pages | 172 | 443 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Scarlet Letter or Work?
Work has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Work 3.7/5, The Scarlet Letter 3.4/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Scarlet Letter or Work?
The Scarlet Letter is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Scarlet Letter (172 pages, ≈ 3 h 11 m); Work (443 pages, ≈ 8 h 12 m).
Which is harder to read: The Scarlet Letter or Work?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Scarlet Letter: Challenging; Work: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
The Scarlet Letter: 5 film adaptations; Work: no film adaptation on record.