Nineteen Eighty-Four vs The Stranger: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
Nineteen Eighty-Four
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, often referred to as 1984, is a dystopian social science fiction novel by the English novelist George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair). It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker…
1 film adaptationBanned book
vs
The Stranger
The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear…
The verdict
- Readers rate Nineteen Eighty-Four highest: Nineteen Eighty-Four 4.2 · The Stranger 3.9.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 7 for The Stranger.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four has the widest readership — 5733183 ratings behind its score.
- The Stranger runs the darker storyline; Nineteen Eighty-Four stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Nineteen Eighty-Four
≈ 4h vs 7h for The Stranger
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Nineteen Eighty-Four
5733183 ratings vs 105467 for The Stranger
Just want the better-reviewed one?
Nineteen Eighty-Four
4.2 vs 3.9 from readers
New to the genre?
The Stranger
Moderate vs Challenging for Nineteen Eighty-Four
In the mood for something dark?
The Stranger
a darker storyline than Nineteen Eighty-Four
Scores by source
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | The Stranger | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (5733183) | 3.9 (105467) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 3.7 (113) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (3136) |
Reception
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | The Stranger | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 5733183 | 105467 |
| Editions | 536 | 27 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 3170038 | 69300 |
| Reading it now | — | 5948 |
| Written reviews | 171557 | 7572 |
| Wikipedia attention | 140637 | 3983 |
| Pages | 244 | 400 |