Waifs and Strays vs Whirligigs: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: American Short stories, Short Stories, Fiction
Waifs and Strays
“A TRESTLE burned down on the International Railroad.”
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Urban teens take center stage in a pair of edgy short story collections. Waifs and Strays presents 15 previously published works by Canadian fantasy writer Charles de Lint, including "May This Be Your Last Sorrow" from…
Whirligigs
“A FAVOURITE dodge to get your story read by the public is to assert that it is true, and then add that Truth is stranger than Fiction.”
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O. Henry's short, simple stories are noted for their careful plotting, ironic coincidences, and surprise endings. Contents: The World and the Door; The Theory and the Hound; The Hypotheses of Failure; Calloway's Code; A…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Waifs and Strays is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for Whirligigs.
- Whirligigs has the widest readership — 161 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Waifs and Strays | Whirligigs | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (42) | 3.6 (161) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (6) |
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Reception
| Waifs and Strays | Whirligigs | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 42 | 161 |
| Editions | 56 | 55 |
| Citations | 10 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 39 | 140 |
| Reading it now | — | 35 |
| Written reviews | 4 | 20 |
| Wikipedia attention | 46 | 2439 |
| Pages | 78 | 314 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Waifs and Strays or Whirligigs?
Whirligigs has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Whirligigs 3.7/5, Waifs and Strays 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: Waifs and Strays or Whirligigs?
Waifs and Strays is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Waifs and Strays (78 pages, ≈ 1 h 27 m); Whirligigs (314 pages, ≈ 5 h 49 m).
Which is harder to read: Waifs and Strays or Whirligigs?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Waifs and Strays: Challenging; Whirligigs: Challenging.