Shirley vs The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Napoleonic wars, British and irish fiction, Social life and customs, Historical Fiction, Fiction
Shirley
Shirley, published in 1849, was Charlotte Brontë’s second novel after Jane Eyre. Published under her pseudonym of “Currer Bell,” it differs in several respects from that earlier work. It is written in the third person…
1 film adaptation
vs
The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
Set against a backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, this is a novel about a young woman and the three very different suitors who vie for her hand. Two of the men are brothers involved in the fighting, one an easygoing…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother is the quickest read — about 7 hours vs 11 for Shirley.
- Shirley has the widest readership — 37677 ratings behind its score.
- Shirley runs the darker storyline; The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
≈ 7h vs 11h for Shirley
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Shirley
37677 ratings vs 3718 for The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
New to the genre?
The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
Challenging vs Demanding for Shirley
In the mood for something dark?
Shirley
a darker storyline than The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
Want something lighter?
The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother
an easier tone than Shirley
Scores by source
| Shirley | The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (37677) | 3.7 (3718) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (34) | 3.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (25) | 4.0 (8) |
Reception
| Shirley | The Trumpet-Major, and Robert His Brother | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 37677 | 3718 |
| Editions | 536 | 122 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 70681 | — |
| Reading it now | 1867 | — |
| Written reviews | 2113 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 3898 | — |
| Pages | 640 | 379 |