The Crusade of the Excelsior vs Wayside Courtships: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: American Short stories, Westerns, Social life and customs, Fiction

Cover of The Crusade of the Excelsior

The Crusade of the Excelsior Bret Harte · 1887 ★★★★☆ 3.7 250 pages · ≈ 4 h 38 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of Wayside Courtships

Wayside Courtships Hamlin Garland · 1897 ★★★★☆ 3.8 281 pages · ≈ 5 h 12 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.7 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Wayside Courtships is the easier read (Challenging), The Crusade of the Excelsior more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side