The well-beloved vs Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Wessex, British and irish fiction, Romance & Relationships, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction
The well-beloved
Jocelyn Pierston, a sculptor of growing fame, is determined to find his ideal in womanhood, a quest that has led to many fruitless encounters. For just as it seems he has found his heart's desire, disillusionment sets…
vs
Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire
Under the Greenwood Tree is the story of the romantic entanglement between church musician, Dick Dewey, and the attractive new school mistress, Fancy Day. A pleasant romantic tale set in the Victorian era, Under the…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire has the widest readership — 15058 ratings behind its score.
- The well-beloved reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 15 times.
How to choose
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire
15058 ratings vs 2361 for The well-beloved
New to the genre?
The well-beloved
Challenging vs Demanding for Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire
Want the literary heavyweight?
The well-beloved
cited 15 times vs 2 for Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire
Scores by source
| The well-beloved | Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (2361) | 3.6 (15058) |
| Hardcover | 3.0 (1) | 3.1 (18) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (16) | — |
Reception
| The well-beloved | Under the Greenwood Tree or, The Mellstock quire | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2361 | 15058 |
| Editions | 71 | 425 |
| Citations | 15 | 2 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 3556 | — |
| Reading it now | 117 | — |
| Written reviews | 231 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 722 | — |
| Pages | 217 | 188 |