The Stones of Venice vs Venetian life: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Venice, Description and travel

Cover of The Stones of Venice

The Stones of Venice John Ruskin · 1851 ★★★★☆ 3.9 236 pages · ≈ 4 h 22 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Venetian life

Venetian life William Dean Howells · 1866 ★★★★☆ 3.8 158 pages · ≈ 2 h 56 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Venetian life is the easier read (Challenging), The Stones of Venice more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side