The Maidens vs The Secret History: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Teacher-student relationships, College teachers, Murderers, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

Cover of The Maidens

The Maidens Alex Michaelides · 2021 ★★★★☆ 4.0 344 pages · ≈ 6 h 22 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Secret History

The Secret History Donna Tartt · 1992 ★★★★☆ 4.1 705 pages · ≈ 13 h 03 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 4.1 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Maidens is the quicker read — about 6 hours vs 13 for The Secret History.
The Maidens is the easier read (Moderate), The Secret History more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side